Resident Evil 4: When Heaven and Hell Collide
by IceBlade09
Summary: When Agent Leon Kennedy is reassigned to protect the President's daughter, is he in over his head? What will happen when he discovers that they could be forever enslaved by a madman? LeonXAshley. Chapter 12 up!
1. Prelude: Alone

**Resident Evil 4: When Heaven and Hell Collide**

Disclaimer: I do not own _Resident Evil 4 _or its characters. *sniffle* Also, if anyone has seen _Mission: Impossible, _the NOC list is the same thing as from that movie. Basically, if you recognize it, it's not mine. ^_^

I'll have about four chapters that cover the game plot (with my own dialogue, etc) and then my version of what happens after. This is also going to be an Ashley/Leon fic (since there are so few). This is my first posted fic and, I wasn't going to post it but, some friends of mine convinced me to, so please be nice. If you have the absolute, compulsive urge to criticize, only constructive criticism and no flames please. Enjoy!

"=speech

Underlined words =thinking aloud (Mumbling)

' **bold letters'**= thinking to self (Leon)

'_**bold letters italicized'**_= thinking to self (Ashley)

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**Prelude: Alone**

The scarce moonlight filtered in through the single barred window of the dank, bleak cell as a young woman of twenty was thrust into the cramped space. Dismayed and nearly hysterical, the woman surveyed her new surroundings. There was no furniture in the cell, save for one desk in the upper left corner, one bookshelf on the right side of the cell, and a few oil barrels in the upper right corner. There were no light sources, except for the moonlight from outside and the small, unlit oil saucer on the wooden table. Her beautiful, shoulder-length blond hair fell over her face as she drew her knees up to her chest and laid her head on them wearily. The steady sound of water dripping reached her ears, reminding her of her immense thirst. She crawled over to a puddle by the only, tiny window in her cell. The moonlight refracted off the water, making it impossible to determine the purity. The woman's crystalline, soft amber eyes searched the glare for a color. Uncertain, she dipped her slender, fragile hands into the water. Curious, she drew the substance up to her nose and smelled a faint odor of iron and tar. As she took a closer look at the liquid in her hands, she was horrified. It was not water, no. It was blood; human blood. No longer thirsty, the woman panicked and began to beat her fists against the iron door of her cell. She became ill as the horrible stench of the blood, the tar from the oil barrels in the corner, and the mold, from the rafters, seemed to multiply tenfold.

"Let me out! People are going to come for me and, when they do, you're going to be in a world of hurt! You just wait!" Suddenly, the small metal spy-hole on the door slid back to reveal a pair of blood-red eyes, nearly concealed by the shadow that was drawn by the being's robe's hood.

"Believe me, Ms. Graham; we know that people will come for you. That's why you're here. Now…shut up!!!" the man shouted as he hurled a small, lit oil disk into her cell. Sparks flew and the young woman shrieked and hid behind the two oil barrels in the corner, not thinking that the potentially flammable objects would catch. Once she regained her sense, she stood and walked under the light filled window. All that could be heard was her heavy breath and the clopping of the heels of her brown, knee-length boots against the slimy floor. The woman flopped down on the floor, curling into a ball, no longer caring about the grimy cell base. Her once orange shirt was now stained a light brown, the belt, which hung loosely around her waist, was caked in mud, and her once neat, green-plaid skirt was now frayed and tattered at the edges. Cold and silent, the woman began to sob. Is anyone going to save me? Ashley thought aloud, somehow expecting an answer from the cruel cell walls. None came. Eventually, her tiny sobs became inaudible as she cried herself to sleep.

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"Ms. Ashley Graham. Do you know who that is, Kennedy?" President Graham asked the blond-haired agent as he handed a picture over the top of the desk, to the man of about 27.

"Of course, Mr. President. That's your daughter, Ashley." the agent said as he offered the picture back. Mr. Graham ignored the gesture and began to pace around the Oval Office. Kennedy took this as a signal and placed the picture safely in his pants' pocket. The agent drew his brown jacket around himself, as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to block out the cold of the Oval Office. He was tired and the tan-colored fur, lining the neck and wrists, of his brown jacket warmed him, only adding to his fatigue. Even though his clothes helped, the agent felt naked without his weapons. As the usual preventative measure, agent Kennedy's handgun and knife had been confiscated, the ammo from his jean pockets, and the two ammo cases attached to his belt, had been removed, as well as the brown ammo harness that he always wore under his jacket. This left him in his loose cargo jeans, gray rash-guard shirt, black sneakers, brown jacket, and his favorite pair of black gloves. The agent's piercing, ice burg-blue eyes began to drop as he thought of how much he despised the Oval Office. He hated its cold edges and the temperature was always freezing. Not to mention the fact that he wanted his equipment back. He had been briefed in this room for the last two years but it never seemed to change, even though President Graham's predecessor was just impeached from the office only three months ago. Knowing that he would be briefed here several more times before he retired, Kennedy decided to ignore the morbid air of the large space.

"You're damn right that's my little girl! Do you know why you're here, Kennedy?" the President asked as he sat back down in his chair and leaned forward over the desk. The agent jerked, being wrenched from his temporary coma.

"No sir. If it has to do with my assignment in Iraq, with all due respect, I don't see how it pertains to your daughter. I wasn't supposed to be assigned to the protection of your family for another four weeks." the lean well-built agent said as he tried to keep from falling asleep in the stiff, wooden chair. It only became more difficult as the smell of his favorite spice, cinnamon, wafted into his nostrils, all the way from the kitchen.

"What was your assignment in Iraq and why should I trust you to protect my family?" President Graham asked as he shifted through Kennedy's wrap sheet.

"I spent the last six and a half weeks infiltrating supposed Al-Queda headquarters, gathering information for our government and trying to put a location on Osama Bin Laden," at this agent Kennedy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What he said next could determine whether or not he achieved his dream job. "Sir, I have been working my way up to the top, protecting the President and his family, for several years. If you give me a chance, I swear I will do my best. I've been waiting for this honor for years."

"Well Mr. Kennedy, you are here four weeks early because my daughter's other body guard fucked up. She was abducted from her university three days ago and no agent has been able to locate her _and_ retrieve her. I was advised that you were extremely reliable and the man for the job." the president said as he read Kennedy's bio sheet carefully, not noticing the agent leaning farther and farther forward in his chair. There was a brief silence as the agent watched the President carefully for any signs of approval. "Your files are quite impressive. You are the United States' top agent, as well as number one on the NOC list. That's….well…that's extremely impressive. That means that every agent in the U.S. wants to be you and every agent, in every other country, wants to kill you. All right, as of now, you have been reassigned, Kennedy." President Graham said as he handed the agent two vanilla envelopes. The agent's heart skipped a beat as he took the envelopes. This meant that he had really done it. He had worked himself all the way to the top. "My daughter's location is believed to be in a little village, in the northern part of Spain, called _El Luga Muerto_. If this is found to be her location, we will send you backup immediately and you are to rescue her and bring her back to Washington, understood?"

"Yes, sir. You won't regret hiring me." the agent said with the last of his speaking energy.

"Well then, Mr. Leon Scott Kennedy, let's see if you're as good as they say you are." Graham said as he signed the official document, stating that Leon was on the mission. The rest of the room was silent, save for the scribbling of the President's pen against the paper. President Graham began to speak again as Leon began sliding off the edge of his chair.

"You do realize that this is my little girl. I don't care how you do it, where you do it, or even _when _you do it but, whatever you do, bring her back!" the President said as he slammed his fists on the desk. Leon jumped slightly and straightened up, trying to sharpen his senses.

"You can count on me, Mr. President."

"Let's hope so…for Ashley's and your sake. Mr. Leon Kennedy, good luck and…thank you." the President said as he shook the agent's hand and escorted him to the door. Leon retrieved his weapons, as well as his government badge, and was rushed into a government chopper within the hour.

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"This is your communicator. You know how to use it but, Leon, don't break this one. Hey, are you listening to me?" a mousy-looking man with glasses asked as he punched Leon on the shoulder. The agent lifted his head groggily. "I let you sleep for the first seven and a half hours. We only have an hour and a half left."

"It's three o' clock in the morning in Baghdad and, before now, I haven't really slept in nine days." Leon said as he looked at his watch in surprise.

"Well, it's seven o' clock in the evening in the U.S. and it's one o' clock in the morning in Spain. By the time we land, it will be two thirty. You'll get about three more hours of rest and you'll begin investigating around six. Now, if you break this communicator, it's my ass." the man said as he waved the expensive-looking object in the agent's face.

"You know me, Mike, always careful." Leon said, with a grin, as he flipped the heavy radio in his hands.

"We made that thing virtually indestructible, so please, Leon, don't defy the laws of science and technology…again." Mike said as he put his hands together in a mock plea.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leon asked as he strapped his ammo harness on and began filling it with various types of ammo.

"Let's face it, you've got a knack for getting into bad situations and the fact that one agent, before you, has died trying to rescue this girl doesn't help. _And_… I'm sure the fact that the girl's hot means nothing to you. Right, Leon?" Mike said as he looked over his glasses at his companion of four years.

"The previous agent was a pushover, just in the rotation from the O.R.E., and, unlike you, I am able to control my few, impure thoughts." Leon said as he fastened a TMP on his belt.

"What are you doing?! You're not here to invade Spain. You're here to ask a few questions, locate the president's daughter, and get her out." Mike said as he took the TMP off Leon's belt. "You get one gun; your handgun, and _that's_ strictly a safety _precaution_."

"Fine, but if I die because I run out of defenses, how will you feel? After all, an agent has already been lost on this mission." Leon said, making a fake pity face.

"I'm sure that you won't stand a chance against the unarmed villagers. Which reminds me…do you have any id on you?" Mike asked, regaining his serious tone.

"I removed all but my badge…I think we're landing." the agent said as the helicopter gave an ominous jerk.

"Then I take it you clearly recall the fact that the U.S. government will disavow all knowledge of you if you die?" Mike said as he patted Leon on the shoulder.

"Thank for that, pal." Leon said as he began to exit the chopper.

"No prob. That beaten-up '84 model car there… that's your police escort. Have fun. See you in the Americas in a few days." Mike said as the helicopter left the ground again, leaving Leon to his escorts' car. Leon entered the Policias' car and stared out the window as they began to pull away. I might need that gun. Leon whispered under his breath as he was lost to his own thoughts.

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End of Prelude-Yay! I think that that was longer than I intended…oh well, I hope that you all liked it! This chapter was mostly for character building, to establish a more realistic atmosphere and add more depth to the characters (for those among us who like that.) I promise that there will be more action and romance in the next few chapters… if I get enough reviewers wanting me to update! ^_^


	2. Chapter 1: Hostility

Before I begin my first chapter, I just want to say, to all of you who reviewed, I LOVE YOU PEOPLE! I was surprised at the feedback that I got and I just wanted to take a minute to thank everyone and respond to the time you took to review.

Dawley: You were my first reviewer. YAY! This in fact does start with the time before the game and it will end with my version of what happens afterwards. I'm glad you liked the intro.

Rpgfan04: I'm glad that you want me to keep going so, here it is!

Lukyirish12: Wow. Where do I start? Lol I actually have beaten the game. I beat it three days ago (sniffles) I'm glad that you liked what I did with Leon. (I think that he's under appreciated in the game. After all, even if he is an agent, I don't think it was in the job description that he was going to have to fight zombies and monsters. Lol) as for the hot thing, I had to give him his due right? Lol and…I actually have already read your story: Resilient Strengths and I love it! So, thank you for reviewing and it means a lot to me that you like it because I've read your stuff and you've got talent.

Skyle: You also had a lot to say! Lol. I'm glad. I always like to pay attention to what my readers like so, I changed the justification. I put it on left so; I hope that you like it better. Lol. I really appreciate all the compliments! I'm glad that you liked the details and the dialogue. (The dialogue's my favorite part of a story!) When you made the comment about the NOC list, it made me laugh because that's exactly what I was thinking when I added that in. Lol. I'm glad that you liked the Mike and Leon scene. I felt that there needed to be more of a connection with the helicopter man and Leon (because they talked like they knew each other, ya know?). Lol. I'm honored that you'd add me to your C2 community, if you make one, and that I'm on your favorites. Lol. So, here's your next chapter!

Shwarz Stein: First off, cool name. I know what you mean. I died 28 times the first time I played (I probably shouldn't tell people that but hey, honesty's the best policy right?) And, I only had a hit ratio of 74. Lol. Oh well, it was fun! I'm glad that you liked the Prelude and I hope that you enjoy this chapter just as much.

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"speech

Underlined words  thinking aloud (mumbling)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter 1: Hostility

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"What brings you so far away from home, Americano?" the first Spanish cop asked as he lit up something that looked suspiciously like a joint. Leon, being lost in thought, only passed a glance at the man, not really seeing him but more of just acknowledging his presence. As usual, the plans had changed and instead of getting the rest he was promised, Leon was now forced to begin his investigation at two o' clock in the morning. Leon, not being particularly pleased, wondered how cooperative people could possibly be at two A.M.

"Aww…what's the matter, cowboy? You leave your makeup at home; or did you just forget why you're here?" the second cop asked as he motioned for the other cop to give his iffy-looking 'cigarette' a light too. The car jerked as the cop reached to give his companion a light. Leon glared at the two. Considering that the old car was creaking and rusty already, the agent figured that it probably wasn't a good idea to focus on anything other than keeping the hunk of junk on the road, especially when it was still very dark outside and the headlights didn't work. Then again...it wasn't really a road anyways; it was more of a dirt path that a car could fit on.

'**Who are these guys? Is that marijuana? God I can smell it! That'd be a great way to die. "Sorry Mr. President, your daughter wasn't rescued and your new agent was killed because his escorts were high and they pushed him out of a moving vehicle" I can hear it now.' **Leon just sighed and kept looking out the window as the dark outlines of trees blurred by. Around the bend, an old, decrepit cabin came into view. The agent didn't see any lights on inside but he figured that it was because the household was asleep. He would just knock on the door, ask for any information, and then apologize for the intrusion.

"Hey, stop here, maybe they know something." Leon commanded as he clambered out of the car and turned to address the two impaired persons. "I'm counting on you guys to be here when I get…" as soon as Leon began talking, the cops drove off. "Hey! You can't leave me here!" Leon shouted as he tried to run down the car. The cops didn't slow down; they only pointed at 'the American' and laughed. Stumbling over a root in the dark, Leon hit the ground with an ominous thud. Out of breath, the agent could only watch as the car continued to drive. Suddenly, Leon felt something whiz by his head, slicing a few of his fine blond hairs; had he been two centimeters to his left, he would have been minus an ear. The next thing he knew, he heard the cops' car's tire blow and saw the vehicle go careening into the river, under the bridge.

What in the Hell... Leon mumbled breathlessly as he stood in shock. Realizing that the ax had been aimed at _his head_, Leon spun around, only to find a Spanish villager running towards him with a torch lit and ready to burn. Instinctively, Leon pulled out his handgun and fired straight into the man's heart, not even warning him to freeze first. When his panic subsided, Leon realized what he'd just done. He had fired on an unarmed civilian. Being an agent, Leon didn't count a torch as a weapon. What if the man had been running to help him? After all, it was early morning and the torch could have been just for light. Unlikely but, after the Raccoon City incident, Leon kept his mind open to every possibility. Kneeling next to the man, the agent checked for a pulse, keeping his gun out, just in case anyone tried to attack him. There was no pulse, no breathing; nothing. The man's skin was waxy and as cold as ice. That shouldn't be...I just shot him. Leon mumbled as he pulled his handgun away in confusion. Leon stood, holstering his gun as he began to walk away. He wrapped his jacket closer around himself to keep the unyielding iciness of the forest away and hoping that he could find his flashlight in the left pocket (where it was _supposed_ to be). Naturally, the flashlight was not there so, Leon searched the other pockets of his clothes. Mike's taunting of his obstructive luck with any technology, other than guns, began echoing in his mind. It made the agent smile to himself lightly, knowing that, when he told Mike about this mishap, it would set off a whole other wave of banter between the two of them. Giving up on the light, Leon pulled up his communicator. He went to the GPS menu, knowing full well that it hadn't been activated yet, but, the blank screen provided a light source.

The woods were silent, save for the rustling of the leaves in the light wind, the vicious rush of the river under the bridge, and the agent's timorous breath. Something was odd; it was too quiet and the smell of death hovered all around. This made Leon uneasy as he stumbled towards the shelter. One would even say jumpy. Suddenly, the agent's head spun and his stomach churned, forcing him to steady himself against a tree. Catching his breath, a chill went up the agent's spine as a groan escaped the Spanish villager, whom he had just shot. Fearing the angry individual was alive, Leon slowly turned around, praying that he was wrong, only to receive a pair of hands around his throat. The villager was strong and his hands were depriving the agent of his air. Leon dropped the heavy radio and the sound seemed to echo for miles. Regaining his common sense and using the man's shoulders as a brace, Leon walked himself up the man's waist and J-kicked him in the head. To the agent's horror, the man's head burst, bits of brain, flesh, and blood splattering all over his clothes. Leon stood in astonishment, staring at the grotesque scene of the bubbling puddle of human at his feet and trying to ignore the clumps of the gray organ that speckled his clothes as well as the feeling of the warm blood soaking through to his skin. **'His head just flew off. His bones were like... peanut brittle. Now he's ...bubbling away. It's almost like he's a...he's a...'** Leon began to think to himself as he bent down and picked up his communicator, too dumbfounded to even mumble.

"Like he's a what, Mr. American?" Leon spun around, drawing his handgun and searching for the origin of the deep, heavily accented, Spanish voice. There was no one there; just the same black emptiness as before.

"Show yourself!" Leon shouted into the woods, valiantly keeping his gun from shaking in his hands. It was almost useless to stare into the woods. Except for the small area covered by his communicator's light, the agent was virtually blind.

"I can't do that, Mr. Kennedy. Actually, I'm quite far away from you." the sinister voice replied. It seemed to be everywhere. The agent could not determine the derivation of the voice and turned around and around to see where the frequency was strongest. To his concern, the frequency was just as strong in every direction, as if it was coming out of nowhere and everywhere all at once.

What do you mean? How do you know who I am? Leon whispered slowly as he made his way towards the dilapidated cabin, not expecting a reply. A headache began forming behind the agent's forehead and a new wave of nausea caused him to walk slightly more unsteady than before. He clipped the communicator to his belt, the light facing outward, so that he had both hands to use but could still see.

"I know a lot more than that, Mr. Kennedy. I know that your favorite smell is cinnamon and that you _really_ want a life-long companion. But you can't have that, can you?" Leon tried to ignore the chitchat and kept making his way towards the house. His eyes were getting used to the strange light source and it was becoming easier for him to move without stumbling. "Poor baby. How do I know? Telepathy, Mr. Leon Scott; I know everything that you are thinking." the voice teased sadistically. Startled, Leon froze and tried to think of absolutely nothing. The long silence was nothing short of agonizing as the agent waited with bated breath. "Ah...I should have known that you were here for the girl. Good luck my American friend, you'll need it." the voice said as Leon's dizzy spell finally faded. The agent slowly made his way up the shrieking steps of the lodge as the smell of dry rot and ancient reached his nostrils. Leon decided it was wise to neither confirm nor deny the assumption verbally until he knew what he was up against. But then he thought, did it really matter; if the unbalanced psychosomatic man was telling the truth about his telepathy, then he already knew that answer.

"Who the Hell _are_ you?" there was no reply. "I don't need your luck, bastard!" Leon shouted as he smashed open the cabin's door. As his piercing, critical, ice-burg blue eyes searched the one-room house, the only noise that reached the agent's ears was the sound of warped floor boards that had seen several years of harsh winters and blistering summers. The smell of mold was nearly overpowering and made Leon wonder just how long the house had been there. The agent calmed himself, his breath becoming softer and his heartbeat less erratic. Once he was sure that no one was in the cabin, and the man had left his thoughts, Leon shakily sat down at the only pieces of furniture in the room; a wooden table and chair, long since forgotten about by the owner. Spotting an oil saucer on the table, Leon dove into his right pants' pocket and took his second to last match out of its box. The agent really didn't know why he carried matches; he didn't smoke. He supposed that it was for situations just like this. Well...emergencies anyways. Although it wasn't a five star motel, Leon was grateful for the break from the cold and the dark. His numb fingers and cheeks began to thaw as the slightly warmer temperature inside the cabin helped and the small oil lamp shed a glowing light over the small floorboards.

**'This reminds me of Raccoon City. But...how? Umbrella was destroyed. What if this wasn't just one crazy villager? What if they're all like this? What if Ashley's already dead? Something tells me...'** Leon's unsystematic thoughts were interrupted by the loud screech of his communicator. He picked up the device, staring into the face of his inflexible support runner, Ingrid Hunnigan. She had supervised the last few of Leon's missions and was used to his usual banter. Leon, having gone through a few other supports, liked Hunnigan because she actually responded to his teasing of her sophistication and enjoyed it to a degree.

"Leon. What's going on? Do you have any evidence leading to Ashley yet?"

"Negative. I've only encountered one villager but, he was…disobliging." Leon stated calmly, finding it as easy as usual to mask his panic and turmoil.

"What do you mean? Are you alright?" Hunnigan asked, not surprising Leon. After all, it was her job to make sure that he was alive and well practically every thirty minutes.

"I'm fine but I think I know why the other agent was killed. My escorts were also attacked and their physical state is... unknown at this time. The guy I encountered didn't seem to care for me very much. I'm not sure yet, but I don't think that any of the other villagers will be too receptive either. I can neither confirm nor deny if Ashley is here or not. I have a feeling that she is but feelings can be incorrect." Leon said as he reloaded his handgun.

"He _attacked_ you! Be careful, Leon, and find out about Ashley as soon as you can! You're only about two miles from the village. Maybe someone there will help. It's your best shot. Do you have reason to believe that Ashley is there and, if so, do I need to send backup now?" Ingrid asked as she activated the communicator's GPS capability.

"I have reason to believe that she is here but I'm not sure enough yet. Don't send backup. The rest of the villagers may cooperate and I may be wrong about Ashley. I'll contact you when I get any information. Leon out." the agent said as he hung the communicator on his belt, stood, and left the cabin, being careful to grab his oil saucer as well. After all, the longer he took, the longer Ashley may have to wait and the more her rate of survival could be decreased. The agent felt more assured knowing that he did have support; even if it was hundreds of miles away. Also, having a _focused_ conversation about Ashley helped him remember that he could be, in fact, this girl's only hope. If she was hostage in this place, there probably wouldn't be enough time to send another agent, after himself, before the unknown group was finished with her. Leon, once again concealing his fear with his self-confident attitude and with the knowledge that he might be someone's lifeline, made his way towards _El Luga Muerto._

'**It's going to suck to be a zombie when I get through with them; especially if they have Ashley, hurt her, and send my assignment to Hell.' **Leon thought as he checked the sharpness of his knife and made his way down the lonely, cold, gloomy forest path.

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"Now, Ms. Graham, are we going to cooperate quietly or are we going to be…obstinate?" the tall figure cooed to the girl's ear as his grimy, clawed hand 'caressed' her cheek. Ashley tried to get a look at the face of her oppressor but found that the velvet, dark blue hood shaded his face too deeply. She was in a strange room. It was all metal, with machines and test tubes, as if it were a laboratory. This must have been the basement of the church. When they were dragging her along, Ashley had been looking around, thinking that she could find an escape route. They hadn't gone outside of the church, just down a bunch of stairs. She wondered why anyone would build something like this under a place of holy worship. And, why her captors all wore long, elegantly decorated robes but worked with advanced machines.

"If you think that I'm going to help you, you must have fallen out of the brainless tree and hit every branch on the way down!" Ashley said as she tried to squirm out of the iron chair she was bound to. The iron clasps on her wrists rubbed painfully against her tender skin as she tried to free herself. She felt blisters begin to form as she fought the bonds harder. Then, she stared down at her wrists, seeing the red, raw, and, in some places, blistered and bleeding skin. She gritted her teeth and fought even harder; the small pain was easy to bear if she could free herself.

"It's a shame. If I were a few years younger, you would actually be my type; fiery and a little… naïve." the robed figure nearly growled as he roughly yanked Ashley's head towards his by a handful of her soft, golden hair. His grip was strong, making Ashley's struggling to be in vain.

"Ah! In your dreams you, you psycho!" Ashley said as she squeaked in pain. **_'Let go! Please! You're scalping me! Someone…it hurts!'_** Ashley thought as she managed to hide her discomfort from her newfound enemies. Small tears of pain threatened to fall but the girl survived the hazard and suppressed the liquid that clouded her wide, amber eyes.

"Actually, in my _nightmares_, Ms. Graham. Only a father would love such a spoiled, foolish girl; even though you are beautiful. Sanchez, bring the sample." the figure commanded as he let go of Ashley's hair and brought his face only a few centimeters away from hers. "Now, Darling, we're going to endow you with the power that courses through our veins. Any last requests before you begin your transformation?" Ashley was too thunderstruck, by the man's ugliness, to answer for a moment. His eyes were sagging and a blood red so penetrating, that Ashley almost felt anesthetized. His skin was floppy and it looked like gravity was having fun with it. His teeth were a color of yellow that Ashley didn't think existed, and so crooked that they looked like they were half pulled out of the man's mouth. At the moment, his mouth was curled into such a perverse smile that it made his teeth look straight. Ashley wondered how old this man was and realized how scared of him she really was. He was deranged and strong, and she was alone in this strange, twisted place.

"Who do you think you are? Kidnapping me and 'endowing me with your power'; you'll never get away with it." Ashley said as the robed figure's assistant brought a large vile with purple liquid. **_'That's not going in me, is it? What are they going to do to me? Is that an…egg? My father better not have sent some brainless muscleman for me; these guys aren't just terrorists.'_** Ashley thought as she inched over to the other side of her seat. The man in red attached a needle to the end of the vile, confirming Ashley's worst fear. Her heart omitted a beat as her phobia of needles set in.

"My dear, I already have gotten away with it. And, I suppose that there's no harm in telling you who I am. After all, it won't matter in a couple of weeks. My name is Osmund Saddler. You'll recognize me as your_ Lord_ soon enough though." Saddler said as he stuck the needle in the girl's neck. Ashley arched her back upwards as the barb was driven deep into the soft, vulnerable muscles. Two red-robed figures held Ashley down, so there was no way she could prevent the liquid from being injected.

The liquid entered her veins, turning everything cold around her. She couldn't move. Everything in front of her eyes went black but, her eyes were still open; she could still hear; she was still awake. Ashley's thoughts raced as she tried to move, close her eyes, anything. Then, it felt as though there was a small rock injected into her veins. She could feel it traveling through her bloodstream, inching along painfully. **_'What is that? Where is it going? It hurts. Am I going to die? What if I...…I'm tired. Goodnight, Dad.' _**Ashley slowly stopped her thoughts and yielded to her sudden weakness as the full effect of the serum took over.

"Put her back in her cell. She won't be bothersome for a few hours. If the girl is here, the agent will come for her. Be ready; we don't want to relocate the girl until he comes. After all, we can't perform the final ritual for another few days. There's no point in bringing them to the island until they're both injected. I'm retuning to the island for some equipment for this lab. We need to infect the Agent before he has to go to our fortress. Don't fail me.." Saddler said as he retracted the syringe and waved for his puppets to follow his orders.

Now, my American friend, you're next. You won't be killed by the Ganados. Although you are an American, you are too smart for that. I'll be waiting. After all, why take one infection home when you can take two? If you get too out of line.…I can just kill you. Saddler mumbled as he flipped the tail of his robe and left the lab. His maniacal laugh echoed throughout the laboratory halls until the sound- proof doors closed behind him and drowned the spine-chilling din.

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End of Chapter 1! Yay! You all see what your motivation gives me? It hasn't even been a month! - I know I made Ashley seem hated but I promise I don't hate Ashley! Lol. I think she's a little whiny but hey, if I was in a situation like this, I'd be whiny too!I made Leon a little more human in this chapter, with the confusion and the panic but, now that he's gotten over the shock, he's gonna kick some ass! Lol. I hope you all liked it! I look forward to your questions and comments! By the way, this may be the last update for awhile because my family and I are leaving for Europe on June 19th. I'll try to get one more chapter out before we leave but, I don't want to rush anything. But, I promise, if I don't post one more before we leave, as soon as I get back, there will be another chapter! Lol.


	3. Chapter 2: Confusion

Once again, I will thank all of you who took your time to review my story and thank certain people who have shown me a guiding light! Lol. I really appreciate the feedback and the fact that no one has flamed me yet! I deserve a flame for the mistake that I made in the major plot. You all must think that I really don't get my money's worth out of my education. Lol. I apologize for the plot error and it has been fixed! To be honest, I really didn't think about it since the game had the same plot error. (I jut made it worse, lol) The President's scene has been revised in the Prelude and Chapter 1 has been revised, starting with Leon's talk with Hunnigan! I hope that I did enough to fix it to everyone's pleasing. Let me know if you like it less, more, or the same, k? Enjoy!

Caleb Nova: I agree that the story is a little rushed for my taste but I try not to rush it! Lol. Thank you for the compliment and yes, I will be better when I write my own imagination on the paper. I'm not sure what you're talking about with the loading part of the chapter but I checked it and I think it works now… I hope. Lol. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for pointing out the huge problem with the story. I really appreciate it. I fixed it now if anyone wants to go and read the scene with the President again and the ending paragraphs of chapter 1, starting with Leon's talk with Hunnigan. I was intending on sending Leon backup later on in the story but…I guess I didn't make it clear. In this chapter, I will add more evidence that they do not know for sure if Ashley is in the town and that Leon will be getting backup. I'm sorry that you all will have to read those sections again and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I hope that the story is clearer now! As for the helicopter thing, I have my ideas. So, no more wincing, k? Lol.

Shwarz Stein: I'm glad that I amuse you; I try. As a Thespian and an actress, it's my job. Lol. And, don't worry, Leon will get better equipment. Lol. Take care as well. Enjoy.

Skyle: It was really no problem to re-align the story and I'm always glad to personally respond to people who take the time to review! Lol. Yes, I had fun with the voice in Leon's head and there will be more of that. Lol. I fixed the telepathy thing. I guess my word processor spell check didn't recognize the word telepathy but it did recognize the word telekinesis (doesn't make sense to me, but hey…) and it kept wanting me to change it. I guess that I fell down on the job and accidentally hit "change". So, I was a little confused on what you were talking about at first. Then, when I read it I was like "oh…crap" so I fixed it and thanks for pointing it out! Lol. With Saddler's one line I laughed because I was going to put decades instead of years but then I thought "he's a severely egotistical sociopath so, he would be flattering to himself" right? Lol. I'm glad that you're hooked and here's the next chapter!

Dawley: I'm glad that you like the adaptation! But…who ever said that the two cops weren't taken? Keep reading, you'll see. Lol. I hope you like it. By the way, I will tell Salazar for you!

Rpgfan04: Don't worry, I sucked at it too! Lol. The PS2 version does look fun! I'm glad that you liked the humanization of Leon and the chapter! Here's the next one!

Lukyirish12: I'm glad that you liked the chapter. I'm sorry that your brother won't let you play the game! But hey, when the PS2 version comes out, you will! Lol. I looked at the paragraph and I was amazed at how long it was. I did put a break in it and thank you for pointing that out! Lol. I'm sorry that you'll have less time to read and write! It should be a crime to obstruct creativity. Lol. Anyways, I promised I'd try to update so, here it is!

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" speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**Bold letters' ** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized' **_ thinking to self (Ashley)

_Italics_ emphasis on words

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Chapter 2: Confusion

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The cold rain whipped around his face in a tumult of wind and hail as the agent ducked inside one of the most extensive houses in the village. Considering it was still early morning, had Leon not had his communicator's light, he would be fighting as blindly as a bat. The first thing the villagers made sure of was that Leon didn't have the oil saucer as a light source, making the communicator the only luminescent thing for miles. To make matters worse, this place was the true reincarnate of Hell on Earth. It had to be. The agent had never seen such a small, quiet, derelict town that could change from asylum to damnation in the span of thirty seconds. Ever since he had arrived, there had been nothing but screaming villagers, pitchforks stabbing, kitchen knives flying and a chainsaw revving in the hands of the lead town lunatic. The ominous humming had long since stopped but, the only thing that scared Leon more at the moment, than knowing a maniac was after him with a chainsaw, in the dark, cold night; was knowing that a maniac was after him with a chainsaw but not knowing where the maniac was in the sinister, deathly freezing hours of darkness.

He had been holding off the villagers for at least half an hour and sometimes boxes of bullets would fall out of the residents' pockets but, not often enough. Why they carried ammunition in their pockets, the agent would never understand but, he was grateful. Perhaps the gleaming projectiles held some immense value in this rural, archaic place. Even with the occasional help, Leon's ammo was dwindling and, for every zombie he killed; three more took its place. As he had earlier feared, these zombies were once very normal people, with very normal lives but now were in a state of a crazed psychosis. They were undoubtedly being controlled by unstable sociopaths with a history of abuse and access to dangerous chemicals: aka, _Umbrella_. Leon knew, somehow, _Umbrella _was wrapped up with this situation as well. Too many of his missions in the last two years had been _Umbrella_ based and they all started to look the same. Never the less, by himself there was nothing he could do about it. As much as he hated to flee, the agent knew he was in a losing position. Until he had more ammunition and more information, he would have to tread carefully.

'**Damn! I only have ten bullets left.' **the agent thought as he dashed up the house's rickety, old staircase and reloaded his handgun with the last remaining bullets. Even though he had known that he was low on bullets, the agent never imagined that he had exhausted all but one magazine. Sweat beaded his brow as he topped the flight of steps. Although he was hoping to find an escape; there was none. The only possible route was the window. However, the fall could be fatal if the agent didn't land correctly or landed in the midst of a pack of villagers and was incapable of escaping their onslaught. The house was being surrounded and Leon came to the conclusion that he would have to make a stand and lessen their numbers before he could even consider escaping. But did he have that sort of time?

Before he was ready, the sound of glass shattering and wood splintering reached the agent's ears as a ladder was smashed into the upstairs window before him and the front door beneath him was thrust to the floor. Reacting as quickly as his nerves would permit, Leon turned and fired through the oncoming mob of zombies at the stairway. The agent knew that he didn't have enough bullets to kill all of them, so he would take out the front line. Once he had taken down the first three, the others were too brainless and fell from the barricade, completely perplexed; just what he had been counting on. Now that the first ambush was halted, the agent remembered the shattered glass. Leon dashed to the window at the back wall, his adrenaline being driven from his glands as his very existence depended on his own swiftness. He didn't stand a chance if the natives cut him off from both sides. Then, his version of the worst case scenario came into shape as he saw the long blade and chain emerge from under the sill, right alongside the bloody paper bag. The chainsaw was not yet rotating but Leon's stomach wrenched at the thought of the rusty, circulating weapon being slashed at his every appendage. For some reason, this man was unfazed by the sting of handgun bullets; his only hope was to throw the psychopath to the earth before he climbed inside the building.

Holstering his gun and slamming into the lower wall with his thighs, the agent gripped the two caps of the ladder, straining every muscle in his body as he began to shove the weight of four or five villagers towards the earthen base below. Just before the ladder began to teeter and fall, the puss-filled, red eyes grinned sickeningly back at Leon as the man's fleshy, dead fingers dug into the agent's right shoulder. Then, the ladder fell out from under the man, segregating all his weight to the spot where he squeezed the agent. The nauseating thud of the bodies hitting the ground below, and the blood-curdling screams of the victims, made the agent realize that his only escape was almost open. Just this one man…that was the only thing stopping him. Leon grabbed at the man's tremendously intense grip, trying to pry the hand off with both his own. The seemingly disturbed individual gave a low, guttural laugh as he began to lose his grip on the agent, causing Leon's blood to chill.

The second he reached for his knife, Leon couldn't help but scream as the maniac slammed the blades of the chainsaw into his left arm. Having re-fortified his grip on the agent's shoulder, the only things keeping the man from plummeting to his death were the chainsaw blades gouging into the agent's limb and his firm grip on the shoulder. Leon struggled and squirmed, trying to dislodge the weapon and send the man to his death without falling out the window himself. The agent's feet slid across the dusty floor as the man's weight caused him to lean farther and farther forward. If he didn't do something, they were both going to fall. Seeing no other option, Leon sat on the creaky floor and braced his feet against the wall. The pain intensified immeasurably as the blades began to tear through the agent's tender flesh; the sound revolting as the spikes continued to rip through the hard muscles, almost to the bone. His arms were bent over the window in a horrible position and all the agent could do was pray that the man lost his grip. Leon shouted even louder as he felt the blood ooze out into his jacket sleeve and heard the squelch as the blades gashed ever closer to the edge of his arm. Finally, as if his prayers had been answered, the gleam of a metal, 'riot-gun', shotgun to the right caught the agent's eye. Breaking the grip on his right arm, he wildly grabbed for the weapon with his free limb and prayed that it was still loaded; the agent never felt more relieved at the touch of cold metal.

"Laugh at this" Leon said as he steadied the butt on his ribcage and touched the man's head with the muzzle. Leon pulled the trigger. The sound was nearly deafening and the force of the gun made the agent wince as he felt one of his ribs pushed back farther than it should have been. He felt the chainsaw ripped from his tissues as the force, from the shot, threw the man back in a whirlwind of crimson liquid, flesh, and brains. Specks of blood flew into the agent's eyes and mouth, blinding him and forcing him to taste the putrid life liquid.

'**I'll never talk and shoot again.' **Leon thought as he spat out the remainder of the residue and wiped his eyes. Preparing his mind for the impact of the jump and strapping the shotgun to his side, Leon launched himself out the window, flipping gracefully in the air and landing hard on his shoulders; rolling into a squatting position. Immediately pulling his handgun, Leon searched the grounds for any more hostile inhabitants. All of the remaining villagers were apparently still in the house. None had located him yet, making now the perfect opportunity to call Hunnigan for backup. Whether or not Ashley was in this hellish place, Leon needed backup to get out of his predicament. Besides, the last the agency heard from him, he was just beginning to be attacked by the village. They would want to know his current state.

Locating an iron container large enough for himself to fit in, Leon quickly ducked inside. As he climbed inside, he couldn't help but groan at the sudden pang in his side, undeniably from the misuse of the 'Riot Gun.' Then, his pain was almost imperceptible as a stench, that was overwhelming and undeniable, greeted his nostrils. Apparently, the container was or had been used as a manure crate. However, as long as it gained some time, Leon did not care. Pulling out his communicator and turning the volume as low as it could go, he prepared to relay his situation. Suddenly, the forceful, memorable nausea took over his senses. Once again, the agent tried to think of nothing but that only produced a horrible migraine and dizziness.

"My dear American, why do you fight me? You should know by now that your pitiful mind is no match for mine. Why, it's even as though your brain is an open book for my perusal." the menacing, aged voice cooed as the agent gripped at his skull. The throbbing grew and deepened, causing Leon to loose what little contents he had in his stomach.

"What do you think you're going to gain, old man? All you're doing is pissing me off. You're behind all this; I know you are. If I find Ashley here and there's even a scratch on her, I swear I'll…" Leon was cut off by a sharp throb in his stomach.

"You'll do what? For being so intelligent and deciphering the fact that I'm in charge, you certainly do not know how to keep your mouth soundless. Take the girl; see if I care. We have no need for her anymore. I'll even tell you where she is. She's in the church right at the foot of the secret passage in the town hall." the voice responded, trying to draw the agent within the folds of his own confusion.

'**Why would he tell me that?' **Leon thought, forgetting the man's telepathic abilities. Now, somehow the agent knew that this plot revolved around more than simple terrorism or _Umbrella_.

"My darling Leon, why not? It's not like you're going to escape this place alive anyhow. It's just fun to _play_ with you. By the way, go ahead and call for your backup; they won't be able to help you anyways." the man threatened as Leon's sickness wore off again. Once again, the sociopath had left his thoughts. Now, the agent knew two things for sure; Ashley was being hidden in close proximity and the man, who kept breaching his contemplations, was behind it.

"Hunnigan, come in, Hunnigan." Leon whispered into his communicator, once again preparing to inform the agency of his status.

"Hunnigan here. What do you have to report, Leon" Ingrid replied, slightly alarmed by the fact that she could not see the receiving agent's face through the darkness.

"I have a confirmed belief that Ashley is being held in this town. Apparently, she is being held in a church nearby. I need the location of that church, Hunnigan. In addition, backup requested. " Leon said as he checked everywhere for any shotgun or handgun ammo.

"I'll get the nearest church's coordinates and send them to you. I took the liberty of deploying your backup rescue team thirty minutes ago. Even though you said not to at the time, I trust your instincts, Leon. It turns out that you're right almost every time. So, try to stay low for awhile; they'll be there in seven hours." Ingrid said as the coordinates came beeping through.

"I'm flattered that you trust me so much but, we don't have that sort of time, Hunnigan." Leon said as he miraculously found a full box of fifteen shotgun shells in the dung. "The man in charge knows that I'm after Ashley. There's no telling what he'll do."

"That is a problem. Well then, you have to retrieve her, Leon. You'll know where she is when those coordinates come through; there's only one church in the vicinity. Can you handle the situation until your team arrives?" Hunnigan asked as she cleared her throat.

"Well, guess I have to try, don't I? I can retrieve her but, I don't know if I can hold off all the psychopaths forever." Leon said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"You won't have to hold them off for long, just a few hours. Be alert. Help will be there soon. We have a lock on your communicator so they'll be able to find you. Don't worry about trying to find your team. Once you have Ashley, just find a decent place to stop and hide. Good Luck." Ingrid said as the communications screen went blank, once again returning the communicator to the GPS screen.

Ashley had better be here; especially since the team's already been deployed. If this is just a lie to try and get me killed, a lot of people are going to be pissed and I'm going to lose my job. Leon mumbled as he loaded one shell into his new shotgun. Leon slowly opened the metal lid. He didn't hear any screams and no one seemed to be on the streets or in the houses. But…now it was too quiet. It was unnerving. Something was being planned, but what? Vigilantly, Leon scrambled out of the horrid pen. He stood rigid for a moment, clutching the gun as if it were his life. Then, a warm draft, as of a breath, gently stroked the back of the agent's neck. His hairs all stood on end, every nerve tensed. Everything in his body screamed to run but, if he did that, he'd never even know how to terminate whatever was behind him and it would just catch up later. Slowly, Leon began to twist around, his pupils contracting in fear. He came face to face with a penetrating black eye and what looked to be a false, red eye, accented by a haggard face and scar. This monster of a man was no doubt Spanish but did not appear to be affected by whatever everyone else was being plagued by. This man must have been the leader of the village, considering he was a good two feet taller than Leon's height, had ungodly broad shoulders, and had a mass of villagers standing behind him. Without warning, Leon raised the shotgun and fired. To the agent's alarm, the man did not even flinch, the hollow sound of the shot echoing throughout the settlement. The leader simply laughed, causing Leon to tense beyond belief.

"What's so funny?" Leon asked mockingly as he began to back away to get a better shot at one of the various flammable barrels behind the gargantuan being. As if in answer, the man lunged at Leon's throat. The agent tried to deflect the leader's hand but just did not have the same amount of strength. The chief now held Leon, above the ground, by his esophagus. Leon grabbed at the colossal digits, trying to free his airway before he was asphyxiated. Maintaining his grip on the shotgun, the agent tried beating the captain with the iron butt of the firearm; the grip didn't loosen. Everything was beginning to swirl to black. Shouts and noises were starting to become garbled and confusion set in as the oxygen supply to his brain was disconnected.

"You're the one master wants. I don't know why. You seem puny…in _all_ aspects" the leader taunted as he kicked Leon in the groin, adding insult to injury. At last, Leon felt the grip liberate his neck and he fell onto his knees. His mind, not knowing what to attend to first, sent Leon's right hand to his throat and his left to his testicles. Both burned horribly and throbbed in a way that the agent had never known until now. This situated the agent in a pitiful way, much resembling a ball. "Perhaps not. Master gets what he wants." the leader taunted as he raised his fist.

'**Master? This isn't the man in charge? Wonderful.' **Leon thought as helifted his face to the village chief. He was about to respond when the head's fist connected with his face. Leon felt his body literally fly backwards for at least two feet and then land on the hard earth with a painful clunk. The last things, the agent was aware of, were the fact that he was being lifted high onto something, carried, and that he could no longer maintain the grip on his shotgun.

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Ashley heard the large door to the church open with its usual, sluggish, grating moan, wrenching her from her light sleep. Pulling herself off the grimy floor of the storage area, she rushed to the door of her cell. She could hear men talking but… about what? Her seven years of Middle and High school Spanish were finally paying off, enabling her to understand certain words. However, for the most part, the men were speaking too softly to be understood. Pressing her face tightly to the bars, she caught a glimpse of two robed figures carrying an unconscious man. Or, was he dead? There was an awful lot of blood dripping behind the procession. It was strange; all the other zealots wore deep crimson robes, but these two wore beautiful, lustrous, amethyst robes. Ashley had never seen that color on any others. The closest she had seen was on that man, Saddler was it? Perhaps these were some of the closer guards? Confusion seemed to be happening at every moment in this strange, dreary place. Her attention then turned to the man they were carrying by his arms and legs.

'_**He doesn't look Spanish. He doesn't seem dead either. At least that's slightly comforting. Actually, he looks like an American. I wonder if he's one of the men my father sent. God I hope so. Maybe they finally found me. Please be here for me. I know that my dad sent more than one person. More will come looking for him.' **_ Then, Ashley's interest was peaked****as the men topped the second floor ladder, drawing closer as their voices became more unambiguous.

"Why do we have _this_ one now? Why didn't we just kill him and take his weapons?" the taller robed figure asked the more diminutive one. Ashley cringed as the two henchmen simply just let go of the man, allowing his body to hit the stone floor with a resounding smack. They were right outside her cell and she could see all three clearly. The two servants just sat there for a moment, and then began to open a hatch in the floor. Her attention turned to the man on the floor.

"I don't know. Master says that he'll replace Krauser in both work and _play_." the shorter figure responded. Well, they had plans for the American-looking man so, he couldn't have been dead. That reassured Ashley somewhat.

"Then what's the girl for?" the taller figure asked again, both taking a break and sitting in front of the cell. Ashley continued to look at the American-looking man and listen to the guards.

'**_He can't be much older than me.' _**she thought solemnly. She noticed every feature. He had full blond hair and a strong, thin build. He didn't look old but, then again, he couldn't be too young because she knew that her father would not trust a man younger than twenty-two. **_'I wonder how they captured him. He looks smart and he definitely looks strong. I would almost say he's cute, if we weren't in such an unpleasant circumstance. He reminds me of Shane…'_**

"I don't know what she's for. Something about money and continuing the generation of Saddlers- whatever that means." Naturally, this drew Ashley's attention away from her visitor. Although the morons didn't know what that meant, she did. **_'Not going to happen as long as I'm alive.'_** These men must have been closer to the man in charge. All of the other zealots, or the horrid villagers she had _met_ earlier, were too dense to walk properly, let alone make a long, full sentence.

"All I know is that this one is to be infected and both are to be put together, tested, to see if they are fit for their roles, we have to leave the American with all of his weapons and ammunition, and neither are to be killed, they may be harmed but, neither are to be killed unless they are near escaping our sanctuaries before the Plagas take over." the smaller servant replied as they both lifted the man off the ground and began walking down the ladder, into what must have been the place where she had been taken earlier.

"Master must get what he wants." the tall guard said as he let out a laugh and propped the agent on his shoulder.

"I still say that we should take his weapons away before we let them go. But if he wants the girl for business and the American to…" the door slammed shut as the smaller guard climbed all the way inside, making everything else mumbled and muted. The young woman retreated back to her cell window and peered outside. There was an early, gray dawn forming on the horizon as the first few rays of sunshine began to crest above the marine panorama that seemed so far away and unattainable.

'_**What did they mean by 'continue the generation' and 'infect'? What about 'work and play'? Why would they let us go once we're together? What are 'Plagas'? We have to get out of here. These people are maniacs. I know more will come for me, him; us. They have to, right?' **_The young woman thought as she returned to her pile of damp hay in the corner. Confusion was not something that she was used to and it made everything much more stressful in a bad situation.****Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as she silently slid onto the sodden matting. _**'What's going to happen to me…if they don't come for us? I don't want to die here. I can't die here. The last conversation I had with my father was a heated argument about letting me have leeway with the Secret Service. Then we got mad at each other and…he finally let me have the breathing space. What did I get for it? I got kidnapped. He knew better and I just wouldn't listen. I don't want those words to be the last I ever said to him.' **_The pain of that last day pulsated through her heart, causing her tiny whimpers and droplets to become moans and globules.

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Fear and uncertainty caused the man to check his GPS again, the hollow beeping sound not offering any calm. His whole crew had been killed; incinerated in a blast of flame. Thankfully, he was still alive; escaping with only a minor burn on his right leg. The same could not be said for his colleagues. He was alone in a village so forsaken that the only noise, that could be heard, was the creaking of old lumber and the pounding of rain against his eardrums.

Where are ya, Leon? he mumbled as the rain continued to rage in torrents and the technologically adept man tried to shake off the memory of the chopper going down over the water. Why had no one checked on him yet? He returned his attention to the flashing blue specks on his screen. One had to be Leon, but who was the other? Did another member of the team survive? Whoever it was, they were close by and growing nearer. The other dot must have been Leon, considering its location was consistent with the church's. The second dot was too close to ignore now and disappearing appeared to be in order. Quickly, the agent of four years ducked underneath an old shack.

He should be…here? A young man, with black hair and a lean, lanky, build, mumbled shakily, limping on his right foot and staring at his communicator. He tried to step farther and continue his search but his legs gave out, landing him face-first into the mire.

"Skyler, is that you?" the hiding agent said aloud, praying that he was not wrong. The young man jolted, panicking for a moment and trying to find the source of the deep voice. In a state of confusion, the young man's cloudy, gray eyes searched the impenetrable darkness. As his mind finally cleared, semi-calm came over him and the tone became familiar.

"Mike? Are you here?" the man, no more than twenty-one asked in a state of perplexity. Mike came out of his alcove and hurried to help the boy up.

"You made it through the crash! I thought I was alone on this one." Mike said as he offered a support for the relatively new agent, a wave of fresh confidence replacing his past jitteriness.

"Y…yes, sir" was all that the boy could say, biting his lip against the pain in his foot and, frankly, his whole left side.

"Ya did good, _Agent_ Skyler. Who would have thought that the only other survivor of that mishap would be a twenty year-old just out from O.R.E.?" Mike said, in his mock poor grammar and his New York accent, as he gave the boy a light punch and a light laugh. Humor and props were really the only things that could be used to make a novice smile.

"Y…y…yes sir." the younger man answered as he began to shiver. Suddenly, Mike's communicator gave a loud shriek, making both men jump and interrupting their banter.

"Mike, are you there, Mike. Come in, please, Mike" Hunnigan's voice came across loud and clear. Mike quickly found the communicator exactly where it was supposed to be but Ingrid was talking so rapidly and nervously that it seemed like an eternity before he responded.

"Yeah, Mike here, why the panic?" Mike spoke softly and sarcastically into his communicator, trying to calm the support runner and make her smile. He knew that she was panicking because no one else on the chopper team was answering her on their comm. links. Now he had to tell her why.

"That's not funny but thank goodness you're alive. I've tried to contact everyone else and no one's responding. What happened? Is anyone else there with you?" Ingrid asked as she stared at the senior agent in relief.

"Our chopper was destroyed. It's like someone knew we were coming. The only good news I have for you is: Skyler's here with me. The rest of the team, they ah…didn't make it through the attack. Well, their communicators aren't sending out a signal if they did. We haven't found Leon yet, or Ashley for that matter, but we're on our way. I have a feeling that we're going to need more backup though. Skyler's hurt." Mike responded, wondering about his companion of four years.

"Thank goodness Skyler's still animated as well. Don't worry about backup; I took the liberty of sending another chopper right away. We'll try to find out who took the chopper down and why they would do so; don't worry about that…..Another subject I regretfully have to broach; have you heard from or spoken to Leon? He's not answering his communicator and I can't even get through to a visual. It's not like him at all. Something must have happened to him. He knows how important it is to answer when we call in on him." Hunnigan said somberly, trying not to sound too worried.

_Something must have happened to him. _Those words echoed in Mike's head. What if something _had_ happened to his friend; what would they do? No, not Leon. He was alive and well. He had to be. Undesirably, Mike had to tell Hunnigan the truths of the matter. "I tried to get a hold of him earlier but I got the same thing. Once he got to the coordinates of the church, his speck just stopped moving; he hasn't moved in over four hours. It's like he found Ashley but can't find a way out…except, he's not even moving within the church."

"Get to that church and check out the situation. If you can, retrieve Ashley." Hunnigan replied, disappointedly.

"If Leon can't go on without being a liability to the mission or if he's…unresponsive?" Mike asked fearfully, not wanting to hear the answer he already knew.

"You will have to abandon him, Mike. Ashley is the number one priority." Hunnigan said gently, knowing that it would not be received well. When the higher-ranking agent said nothing, she tried to reassure him. "He'll understand, Mike. He'll know it's what you have to do. But, if he's…_unresponsive,_ as you put it, the United States will have no knowledge that he was ever in existence and it would not benefit you, in any way, to move him. Understand? Good luck, agents." Mike stood in shock for a long while after Hunnigan shut off the screen. Mike reflected on all the times that he had asked Leon for counsel. He had always been told by Leon, when he had asked his friend for advice during their days in the O.R.E., _never let personal mix with professional; you'll get hurt that way. _Leon always told him that when he asked for a suggestion but, would his close friend really understand now that he was on the receiving end of that comment? Mike was forced to make a decision that he could not and did not want to make. It was too difficult. I f he stood with Leon, he could send the whole mission to Hell. If he didn't, his friend would certainly die, if he wasn't dead already. The younger agent stared at Mike as they stood there for several minutes in the freezing rain.

"U…um, sir? Shouldn't we commence with our duties now?" Skyler asked wearily.

"Yeah…let's go get Ms. Graham and take our boy back." Mike said confidently. Somehow, there was no longer an issue. The answer was so clear to the senior agent. He knew that Ashley was the number one priority but, even if Leon was missing a limb and couldn't see, as long as his comrade was still alive, there was no way, in all of creation, that he was going to leave him in this misshapen prison.

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Muahahaha…I finally got to work in some of my own creation! Lol. This is where I leave most of the game plot behind and begin my own so, I hope that you all will still like it! By the way, the reason that I never fully describe Mike or the President is because I want everyone to see them according to your own vision (considering they were never shown in the game). Lol. No, I didn't forget (although some of my close friends would say that, no). Lol. Anyways…It will probably be about a month before I update because of our family trip to Europe but I promise, as soon as we get back, I'll post the next chapter, k? I look forward to your questions/comments so please review after you read (as you always do). Lol. See you all in a month!


	4. Chapter 3: Trapped

Wow! It's been forever since I've done this! Lol I missed all of you guys and I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. To be honest, I've had a lot to do the last few days with getting ready to go on a cruise with my family (that I didn't know about until a few days ago) lol. Never the less, I missed all of you and I hope that this chapter measures up to the others. I always seemed to be distracted when I was writing this so this chapter may just be best to take it with a grain of salt and go. Lol. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! But first….my reviewers! I LOVE YOU GUYS! As always, I'm grateful for the time you all took, so I'll take some of my time to you in return! Lol.

Snow Puff: Thank you for the exquisite compliment on my writing; it made me glow inside. As for the humor thing, I don't like a story to be completely serious all the time; it's depressing. And, thank you for the warning! I took your advice (I love my lawn!) Lol. Enjoy.

Rpgfan04: You reviewed again. Yay! I don't hate Ashley (smiles brightly)! I think she whines a little but hey, if it were me, I'd be whining too and at least she helps Leon out right? Even if they're the obvious things, she gets an A for effort! I'm glad you liked it; here's the next one.

Jimbo Jones: Don't worry, we didn't go to Paeblo! I liked your idea and I actually thought about the ending with Leon as king and Ashley as queen but I figured someone had already done it. I don't know. I'm still experimenting with the story. I don't really know where I'm going yet! Lol.

Caleb Nova: There's just no pleasing you is there? Lol. That's okay; I like the challenge. After all, I am only human and I can make mistakes just as others do. Lol. Now, I purposefully gave Leon the Riot Gun because I wanted to. That's why I made it clear that the butt was metal, not wood. Now, I like learning about guns, I really do. I could've used the proper names but I figured that other people wouldn't know what guns Leon was using unless I used the nick names from the game. And, although Leon is familiar with his weapons, the readers aren't but I guess we could all live without the quotes right? Lol. I'll remove the quotes for you. Lol. But it's good to know that someone else likes guns. Lol. Thank you for your insight and I'm glad that you are reviewing my story because you seem intelligent and, just like everyone else, I value your opinion! Lol. Enjoy.

Dawley: Your review made me laugh. So few words but it gets the point across just fine! Lol. About the zombie thing, I use that word for lack of a better. Technically the definition of a zombie is a reanimated person so, I guess that it's not the proper term but I don't really know a better one so, please, if you have a suggestion, help me! Lol.

Guess Who: Hmm…I don't know, my Grandma! Lol. Lizzy; you're great. Everyone: this is my best friend in the whole world. You said your spaz moment was over, but you're always a spaz. Luv ya! Lol. Bitorez honey, come in to dinner! Wait, where's the church? I had to do it. Okay now my spaz moment's over. Lol. Keep reading Lizzy! I want more wacky reviews! Lol. (Don't let your dog scroll the thing down. Lol. What? Post-it notes?) If anyone else read this, I promise we're not crazy, we've jus known each other for about 11 years and we have lots of inside jokes. Lol.

Windblade09: I wonder who this is now. Hmm…Grandpa with the wig. Lol. I like your name, wonder where you got it? Let's all think hard…I quit. Lol. I'm glad you like it too (even though you wouldn't tell me if you didn't) Lol. Luv ya. Talk to you when I get back.

Kevin Nguyen: As if I wouldn't recognize the way you review! Lol. I'm so glad that you still review too! (You said you would, I know!) I missed you too and I'm glad that you liked the chapter again! I'm afraid this one may be a little disappointing but I hope not! Lol. I liked the name Shwarz Stein but Kevin Nguyen's cool too! Enjoy!

The one and only Ace: Thank you. Our trip did go well. I'm glad that you couldn't wait so I tried to post this quickly. Lol. I like your name by the way. I wrote a story where one of my character's names is Ace and it just made me smile. Lol. I hope you like this one too.

Camper: Your review made me laugh too. So few words but the point's there. Lol. As for the numbers, what do those mean? If it means 9.3 out of ten, I'm extremely flattered and I think you're generous. Lol. I love my story, don't get me wrong, but I never really expected it to go far. Lol. If not, well, I'm just silly! Lol. I hope you like this next chapter!

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"speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter 3: Trapped

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'**Am I dead?' **the agent thought as he regarded his being. He was suspended by his arms and neck but from what could not be discerned. As he hung there, mixed-up and bemused, feeling began to return to his body as memories of the village flooded back into his brain. The familiar pounding of his temples, throbbing through several of his right ribs, and intense burning from the gash in his left arm caused the agent to moan. All of his old injuries, and the contusions on various other parts of his body, began to intensify as he began to return to reality and new feelings made themselves present. It was warm; not unpleasantly warm, but just enough to feel as if a massive, lulling blanket was wrapped around everything. Then, a thought occurred to the agent. There was metal wrapped around his wrists and neck and it seemed to be growing unnaturally hot. The fact that he blindly sensed another person across from himself, no more than two feet away, didn't help either. Was he a prisoner? When the agent thought about it, his body was far too drenched in sweat for a blanket; he would have kicked it off before now and, it would be hard to drape the cloth over someone who was suspended in mid-air. When he finally focused, he realized that the other person was speaking to him in a thick, friendly, Spanish accent

"Hey. You going to wake up yet? They have the garotte on you." Although the words seemed to be mumbled and the accent was hard to make out for Leon, it was enough to pull him out of the state of semi-consciousness. As he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon a man with jaw-length brown hair, with a moustache and small beard to match. Somehow, he reminded the agent of the 70's, with his pink and green paisley vest, accented by his brown jeans and long-sleeved white shirt underneath. Hardly Leon's style, the brown cowboy boots didn't help either.

"Where are we?" the agent asked, still slightly groggy and distracted by the amount of pain in his body.

"Ha, ha. You're in the cooker, amigo." the man said with a laugh that couldn't have been more displaced.

What in the Hell… Leon mumbled to himself as he took in his surroundings. They were both in what appeared to be a metal box that was no taller than eight feet and no longer than twelve. Both men were at the back, farthest from the securely locked door, hanging on metal cuffs that were on a track that could roll the prisoners to the center if desired. Strangely enough, as tall as the room was, the prisoners' chains were lengthy enough so that the American was no more than three inches off the ground and the Spaniard was no more than five. There was a strange, red glow emanating from every wall and Leon's stomach fell as he realized that they were truly in an oven. The two walls had long, winding, metal coils that were pulsating and creating a heat and an orange luminescence. The space between the agent's hanging body and the sizzling coils was petite, explaining the blanket sensation and the amount of moisture everywhere. The heat, naturally, was far less enjoyable than before and what the agent wouldn't give to not be wearing the thick, fur-lined coat that he still donned. The thick, metal collar around his neck finally drew the agent's attention. It was clasped tightly enough so that it was painful but not suffocating.

"What the hell is this thing?" he asked, trying to pry at the metal ring.

"It's the garotte, amigo. It was originally a Spanish torture device that asphyxiated people to death." The friendly man responded.

"Well, I feel special…So, are they going to brown us in this thing and eat us or what?" Leon asked nervously.

"Don't worry. They've got it on low. They've been doing this to me on and off for three days; trying to get me to talk. You get used to it after awhile." the man said as he shifted in his clasps. The agent noticed that his new friend was also drenched in sweat but hadn't lost his sense of optimism. Their eyes met for a brief second, creating an uncomfortable silence. For a short time, Leon pondered as to what 'they' were asking about and who 'they' were. Somehow, the man's soft, laid back, hazel eyes instilled a sense of trust in the agent.

"The name's Leon."

"I'm Luis Sera: Ex-cop from Madrid. If I'm not mistaken, you'd be an agent for the U.S. Government and you're here for the girl upstairs." Luis said in a sing-song voice, laughing to himself.

"Maybe. Sounds too serious for me but hey, enlighten me." Leon said, determined not to give anything away.

"You dress too nicely to be a cop. You don't have enough explosives to be a mercenary. You're definitely an American and you have all sorts of expensive equipment. Not to mention, the girl up there is the President's daughter." he said in a 'matter of fact' tone. Leon couldn't help but laugh at the crack on the cop, inwardly admitting it true. In the back of his mind, the agent found it strange that he still had all of his weapons and ammunition and that someone had re-strapped his shotgun to his side. Brushing it away, he decided that it was not the most important thing at the moment.

"Yeah. You're pretty smart. You know where the girl is?" the agent asked as he looked for a way out of the inferno.

"I'll guess that means 'si'. She's in a cell upstairs somewhere. How do I know? She's been screaming for hours. 'I'm important! I'm the President's daughter! You can't do this to me!' Ai yi yi. She finally shut up though." Luis said as he tried to twist in his bonds.

"Wonderful, How about we get out of here." Leon said, hoping to bargain his way out.

"How are you going to get out of here, amigo? I've been trying for days." Luis said in disbelief.

'**He can't reach my handgun. My shotgun's way too powerful at such a close range. I guess my knife's going to have to do it.' **Leon thought carefully before giving orders.

"This is going to be uncomfortable but I think it'll work. If you push off the wall, the cuffs will slide. If you can get close enough to me, I think I can pick us free eventually. So, if you put your feet between coils and push over here, this plan should work. We'll go from there after you've done it. Just…try not to run me into the coils okay?" Leon said slowly, making sure that Luis understood and picturing himself being slammed into the scorching wires.

"Well…okay. Incoming, Americano." Luis said as he braced his feet. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." the agent said as he closed his eyes and suddenly became religious, praying that no mishap took place. He heard the chains slide on the rickety track and prepared for the impact but, it never came. The American and the Spaniard must have been blessed because the ex-cop couldn't have stopped more than an inch from the agent. Breathing a sigh of relief, Leon could instruct again. "Okay. Take the knife out of its hilt, under my jacket, with your mouth."

"I don't see how this is going to work but I'll trust you." Luis said as he began to fish for the blade. Leon stared at the ceiling and tried to ignore the discomfort of a man's nose brushing his nipple. Even though it was all for business, it was still slightly agitating. Eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity, Leon felt the knife slide free and watched as Luis slowly lifted his head upwards.

"I'm going to anchor my feet against the wall, so that my thighs are a step for you, and you can put the knife in my hands with your mouth, okay? After that, I'll pick you out and you can do the same for me." Leon said in long breaths as he stationed his feet between the coils in a dangerously close position. Luis only gave silent agreement as he began to bend his feet towards his chest. The agent held his breath as the heeled cowboy boots pressed harder and harder on his upper thighs. The bottoms of the boots were slick and, if his new ally slipped, well…he didn't want to think about it. Leon's legs began to wobble slightly as Luis put all of his weight down on the American. Both men dripping with perspiration, the transfer of the knife became increasingly difficult as Leon's feet began to slide dangerously close to the burning metals. Finally, the agent felt the familiar blade in his grip and found it immensely easier, than he had thought it would be, to flip the knife around to the hilt without dropping it. The ex-cop gently relieved the agent of his weight, allowing his legs to fall again.

As his wrist movement and vision of the lock were impaired, it took Leon an unusually long time to release the locks on the cuffs. At long last, the familiar click echoed throughout the chamber, followed by the thud of Luis's boots.

"Ah well, that's much better." the Spaniard said as he began to straighten from the drop.

"Catch." Leon said as he dropped the knife into Luis's hands. His ally arched up as far as he could to reach the American's lock but he just lacked the extra boost. Thinking it would lengthen his reach, Luis leaned on the agent but only succeeded in dipping the tip of the knife in the lock. Try as he might, the gap was too high to bridge.

"Well, what do I do now, Americano?" Luis asked, flustered by his failure. Leon parted his lips to speak but, even as he began to breathe words, his temples began to ache harder, his heart suddenly palpitating rapidly and his stomach churning in circles. He couldn't help but shout as he writhed in his bonds and his vision became blurred by the pain. Barely squinting, the agent could see his comrade doubled over in extreme discomfort as he dropped the metal blade to the floor.

"Now, now. My pets wouldn't be _misbehaving_ would they?" the familiar tone ricocheted hollowly through Leon's mind as an acute ringing filled every division of his brain. Leon muffled a shout, producing an agonized groan through gritted teeth instead. Luis followed suit as he flopped onto the metallic base. Whoever was controlling this power could inflict it on both of them. Slowly, with great exertion, Luis stumbled to the agent, grabbing his midsection for a brace.

"Sorry, amigo….but he's..coming." Luis said quietly through clenched teeth as he grabbed Leon's handgun from his pants' rim and stumbled to the door. Leon grimaced as five more of his precious bullets were wasted on the doors lock, blowing it wide open.

"…Luis…" the agent said, dripping with application.

"I'll…come back." the Spaniard said as he tossed the gun to the floor and then disappeared from sight.

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End of chapter five! Yay! I know it's a little short but this was originally a part of another chapter but I decided that it would be best to split the two up so, it's pretty short but I hoped you all liked it and that it was good. I decided that it was best to split this part off because I wanted to post something before I left and the chapter would have been waaaaaay too long if I didn't do something. I did type it at 4:30 in the morning the day before we left so, if there are errors, I apologize in advance! Well, look for the next chapter soon and, as always, opinions are always valued and wanted! Lol. I have the second part of the next chapter written so, it'll be posted in about two weeks or so (because school's starting too! EEEK) Till Then!


	5. Chapter 4: Refuge

Hey everybody! I know it's been about three weeks but I swear it's not because I'm slacking and I have no intention of dropping this story! Lol. I've just been really busy. I've had physicals and dental appointments out the ass and then, I found out (keep in mind that this is about three days before I start school) that I did all the wrong summer reading. So, over the last few days, I've been rigorously reading Ernest Hemingway's _A Farewell to Arms_ and two other books. Lol. So, I apologize for the tardiness but it's here finally! I hope that everyone likes it. I think it'll pull a few loops on everybody. Lol. It's got unexpected and shocking things! Enjoy! Naturally, I will respond to everyone because I love you all and where would this story be without my reviewers!

rpgfan04: Yes, I am alive! Lol. I'm glad that you liked the chapter. I hope that you'll like this one even more!

WindBlade09: Thanks for that. As you would say: If they say they like it, then, damn it, they like it! Lol. I won't worry about it anymore! About the parody…uh coughs…clears throat…buzz _problem communicating with the printer_ I haven't exactly started typing it up yet but I will get to it…eventually. Lol. Hey, at least we have the things written right? I'll get on it as soon as I can. Lol. Luv ya! Smiles widely

P.S: My neighbor lady got her chainsaw out again and Herb went missing…I'm not exactly sure what that means to me but that little voice in the back of my mind (that only works 15 of the time) is telling me that it should mean something. Lol. I figured that would make you laugh. Talk to ya soon!

Shwarz Stein: I'm glad that you have Shwarz Stein again! Lol. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter but I hope that this one's even better. Lol. Thank you for the palm wrist kiss and I don't think you're a dork at all. You're just different. It's good to be different, it puts flavor in the world. WindBlade09 and I are also different so I can completely relate! And, don't worry, this story won't end any time soon. As far as the weapon question goes…the rocket launcher is much more fun and, in the game, I prefer that. I was thinking though and, if they had those things in real life (yeah right) let's just humor me and say they had unlimited ammo in real life…I would pick the Chicago typewriter (because I'd probably blow myself up with the infinite rocket launcher.) The answer you're looking for though is the rocket launcher, lol. It makes the world a brighter place…quite literally. Lol

Dawley: Thanks. I tried for a cliffhanhger Lol. And, yes…I know where you live and I watch you every time you put in Re4. Just kidding. Lol. I'm glad you're ready for the next chapter because I think this one'll throw a few people for loops. Hee, hee. Enjoy. (And yes, I told Salazar that he's a pansy and his nickers are not complemetary to his stature.)

Jimbo Jones: Lol. Don't worry; you'll see what happens to Luis. I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as the last! Lol.

Snow Puff: I'm glad that you liked this chapter too. I actually write my best between the hours of one and three in the morning (4:30 is pushing it but hey, when I set a deadline for myself, I don't screw around. Okay…so I do but who's judging? Lol.) I'm glad that my friend made an impression. She's quite funny but really, we make the perfect humor team. I do the cynical and unisex jokes, she does the gay and the slapstick. Together we're very good at parodies (one of which we will publish eventually) Lol. The 'Bitorez honey come into dinner' thing is one of our inside jokes, actually because we play Re4 together a lot (too much-Lol) and, you're right, you don't want to know. Because, see, it came form my mouth while we were playing the game ( I don't remember what it was in response too but hey) and no one knows what's going on in my brain. Lol. Anyways, don't worry, there's no need for your friend to be hostile. whimper I've lived in this house for fifteen years, don't take it away. Lol. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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"speech

Underlined wordsthinking aloud (mumbling)

'**Bold letters'**thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter4: Refuge

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'**What do I do now? Come on, Leon, think!' **the agent struggled to devise a plan of escape but nothing came as he dangled helplessly by his iron captors.

"There's nothing you _can_ do, my pet" the voice answered with a persuasive rejoinder.

"Damn you!" Leon shouted in a brief flash of vexation. This feeling of helplessness was unbearable. All he could do was sit and wait for his enemy to come to him. He couldn't stop anything that had been put into motion and what would happen to him once his subjugator arrived was completely out of his hands at the moment.

"Shh. Don't worry, I will get you out of the heat" the anonymous voice replied calmly, apparently trying to calm the agent. Leon flinched as the scorching coils were shut down and he was left in semi-darkness. More taunting than anything else, the only light was coming from the oven's open door and the buzzing, blurry-screened communicator that had been switched to the improper frequency. As if in answer to his silent pleas, all of the agent's pain ceased at once. Thankful as he was, Leon thought it strange that not only the pain in his chest had stopped but the pain from the chainsaw, the migraine from the village chief, and the pain from his minor cuts and scrapes had ceased as well. Not comprehending why his discomforts had died away, he concluded that he was probably just too pre-occupied with his approaching adversary to pay attention to himself for now.

"Does that feel better?" the agent heard the menace ask. Slightly alarmed but still calm, Leon realized that he had in fact _heard_ the voice; it was no longer in his mind. So this was it. Whoever had been scrutinizing his thoughts and sending the crazed villagers to attack was finally going to meet him face to face. The agent lifted his head to see the outline of three robed figures standing in the doorway, any features distorted by the bright lights outside the oven. "In case you noticed that beautiful puncture wound in your neck, I figured that we would give you a little gift in time for the holidays, seeing as it is the 19th day of December." the tallest figure spoke as the three men halted in front of the suspended agent, illuminating every crevice with the two lanterns that the two shorter figures held. Leon stared back at the tall figure, who he assumed was the mastermind, and smirked.

"Good, something that sounds a little more original than the rock-hard fruit cakes I get from everybody. Repetition can be a slow death." the agent said wittily as he memorized every aspect of the man's features. There was a certain uneasiness as the agent realized just how morbid, sallow, and honestly _evil _the man's features came across. He looked aged and feeble, returning some of Leon's poise. Crust and puss outlined his lips and eyes, framing his burgundy eyeballs in a ghastly style.

"You're humorous, Mr. Kennedy. I _enjoy_ that but, I am afraid that it will not save you." the tallest man said as he stroked the agent's right cheek with his cold, clammy, clawed hand. "Soon enough, you will grow to call me _master._"

"Sorry but I don't take orders from anyone unless they're paying me and I get health insurance." the agent responded as he lifted his head away from the unwanted contact.

"That's too bad because I, Osmund Saddler, whose mercy you are at completely at the moment, by the way, can now control the amount of pain that courses through your body and even your _actions_…if I so _desire_." the man said as he waved his hand towards Leon's chainsaw injury from before. Torturous pain shot through the agent's arm as he experienced the sensation of his damaged skin splitting with a cloth effect; the crusted puss and blood, encircling the gash, flaking to the floor, once again exposing his precious blood to the oxygen. Leon couldn't help but groan and twist as the crimson liquid trickled and flowed down his arm, caking his jacket sleeve, soaking through the collar of his gray shirt and dirtying the roots of his hair. Saddler flicked his arm again, almost indolently, as a burning, shooting pain ran through Leon's spine, fortifying with each vertebra. The agent tried to bite back the agony, blood now slowly streaming from his nose. Saddler leaned up and against the agent, causing Leon to force himself to struggle away from his enemy, only to fail. Curling his lips into a twisted smile, indeed enjoying the agent's struggle, Saddler gently licked the blood from Leon's fore-lip. As if it had never been, all discomfort ceased, leaving the agent panting and relieved, too drained to speak or even move.

"Now. What I came here to do." Saddler said as he backed down. He held out his hands to both guards, receiving a wineglass in one and a large syringe in the other.

You crazy… although Leon knew nothing. He had an idea of what was going to happen and couldn't restrain the appalled mumble.

"Crazy what, my dear pet? Let's see…don't move." Saddler said with a chuckle as he once again leaned onto the agent. Leon tried to squirm and kick the leader but found it impossible to move a muscle; he could hardly even breathe. Saddler undid the agent's hanging left arm, to obtain better access to his neck, as the limb flopped limply to the agent's side. The hefty syringe perforated a pre-existing cavity in Leon's tender muscles, through the open circle etched into the garotte, causing the impulse to bend forwards. The agent tried to refrain, seeing as anything below his neck was rubbing against the leader's body but then, it felt as though invisible threads were contouring his every muscle into the exact position that he did not wish to attain. When the needle was retracted, it appeared to be holding a large amount of Leon's blood. Too mystified to even think, all the agent could do was watch. Slowly, almost delicately, Saddler squirted the life liquid into his glass. As Saddler drank a large portion, Leon felt his body liberated from the paralyzing grip.

"So. You like to follow the new trends huh? I never would've guessed." the agent said sarcastically as he grabbed the still connected chain with his free hand. Unfortunately, both his handgun and knife were lying on the floor before him, enticingly close. Never the less, it was a comfort to alleviate his right arm from holding all of his weight by a chain.

"No, my darling American. I follow the same 'trend' as my entire family before me." the leader said in reply as he stepped towards the agent again. "_You're_ the perfect _mixture_: Not too old, not too young, intelligent and idiotically brave. It _pleases_ me very much. Would you like a taste?" he finished as he leaned hard on the agent, pushing the agent's body against the cooling helixes. Ignoring the hard protuberance pressing on his thigh, Leon tried to remain composed as Saddler lifted the wineglass to his lips. Right on cue, one of the henchmen rushed to Leon's right side and pried his jaws open, allowing the blood to enter unhindered. The agent clamped his eyes shut as the metallic taste consumed everything. Leon held the liquid in the back of his throat and waited, not knowing how long he could hold his breath. When the rest of the liquid had been drained clean into Leon's mouth, the guard released and the cup was withdrawn. Almost immediately after, Leon spat his own blood all over the Saddler's face. Saddler stood in shock for a moment, not knowing how to respond. Then, a sick, twisted smile warped his facial muscles as he wiped his eyes and nose free, naturally licking his lips dry.

"You're feisty as well. That's very _exciting_." Saddler said softly as he grabbed the agent by the scruff of his neck and pulled him forwards. Their eyes locked for a moment, a furious blue meeting a smirking red. In one fluid movement, catching the agent off guard, Saddler claimed Leon's lips as his own. Some brand of conflict assailed the agent. Everything in his mind was telling him to break away by any means necessary but something in his chest stirred, seduced, obsessed, wanting more, and preventing any action at all. Returning to his senses, Leon raised his free limb and struck Saddler's temple with his fore-arm.

"I will have to be careful; I wouldn't want to tarnish your beautiful features." the leader said with a vindictive laugh.

"You did that when you walked in the r…" the agent was cut off by a rough clout across the face, dealt by Saddler's hand.

"You should be grateful that I have a use for you. It's early yet and I am willing to…twist the rules a little. Later on, however, I will not be so merciful. You would do well to remember that. If you don't, well, it would be such a waste." Saddler said tauntingly as he lifted his left hand slowly and launched it into Leon's abdomen. The force yanked Leon's restraints so hard that the chains snapped, sending the agent crashing to the floor in a mess of manacles and metal links. Saddler leaned down over the dazed American.

"You will never learn, my pet." he said as he wound the garotte tighter. The three robed men seemed to glide out of the room together, slamming the door behind them. Still stunned at how such an old relic could throw that solid of a punch, the sound of things being thrown in front of the door reached the agent's ears. Leon's stomach tightened as the previously cooling helixes were reactivated only this time, they held even more power. The agent pulled himself from the floor, preparing to ram his way out. Gathering his strength, Leon dashed full speed ahead. As his left shoulder connected with the unyielding metals, he was thrown backwards only to land flat on his back a few feet away. The familiar, recurring aches and stabbing pains began to return to all of his injuries, indicating that Saddler had also abandoned the project of masking his suffering. The agent groaned as the gash in his left arm throbbed harder than it ever had before, indisputably from ramming it into a wall. It wasn't the smartest thing he could have done but Leon consoled himself by concluding that it had been damaged already and a little more couldn't have changed things too much. Slowly drawing himself off the heating floor, something glinted to his left and the agent's hopes brightened as he distinguished his trusty handgun and knife lying right where Luis had dropped them.

'**These aren't going to help me. The lock's already broken and my knife's not strong enough to pry open the door.'** the agent thought gloomily as he returned his knife to its hilt and the handgun to his pant's rim and contemplated _how_ exactly he was going to escape the hellhole. **'My weight isn't enough to push the barricade…' ** The heat was now excruciating, causing the agent to perspire freshly and all of the previously exposed blood to crust and mingle with the sweat. Had Leon not been so preoccupied with his getaway, he would have thrown his heavy coat off. **'A grenade will slide and I have nothing to hide behind but…it's my best shot.' **Leon thought as he reached for one of the two remaining green explosives he held. None of which Mike had known about, of course.

"Here goes nothing." Leon said as he pulled the tag, threw the explosive, and hit the deck a good distance away. The blast was foundation-shattering and deafening in such an enclosed space as Leon felt debris and metal chunks hitting his body with everything else. When he tentatively lifted his head from under his arms, bright lights flooded the agent's vision as a large cavity, in fact, nearly the whole door's worth, stood, sculpted by the explosion. Blessing whoever was watching over him, he slowly pulled himself up and began to make his way to the door.

'**See, Mike. Wait until I tell you this one. You'll never complain about too much artillery again.' **The agent thought as he took several laborious steps. As though a higher force was working against Leon in particular, when he was no more than five feet from the exit, a jabbing pain erupted in his chest, causing him to go down on one knee, clutching at the stitch. The agent's vision was completely obscured; something was moving inside but what would _move_ inside? The sensation was like nothing the agent had ever felt before. It was painful and sickening; not agonizing but certainly disconcerting and aching. Leon felt as though he wanted to hurl and cough at the same time. He began retching and coughing alternately, covering his mouth as if it would moderate the discomfort. On a particularly violent, wheezing cough, the all too recognizable metallic taste filled the agent's senses and his lifeblood covered his trembling hands. Leon stared for a brief time lapse, not knowing what to think, and then collapsed as a fresh wave of convulsions took over. It was hot; he was lightheaded. The garotte was suffocating. Something was ripping his insides apart.

'**I have to get up.'** Leon thought as he valiantly tried to follow his brain's orders but his body just wouldn't comply. Slowly, the spasms died, leaving the agent perplexed and baking on the oven floor.

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"Um…sir? Is this the church?" Skyler asked timidly as Mike helped him limp out of the tunnel and into what appeared to be a laboratory.

"Well, according to the communicator, this is where it's at. Besides the outside looked like a church. Let's see. Leon should be about…three rooms thata way." the senior agent said, pointing to his left.

"This place gives me the creeps. Sir? Who would build a lab underneath a _church_ and have a _tunnel_ leading into it?" The young man asked as he leaned harder on Mike.

"Ya got me but it's a good thing they had that tunnel. From where we were, it would've taken us about three hours to walk around to the front without it." Mike said as he began to practically drag the boy along. As they sluggishly hobbled through the first two rooms, Mike bowed his head downwards, to support Skyler more fully, relying entirely on the younger agent to navigate their way.

"U…um, s…sir?" Skyler said almost noiselessly as he pointed to the third room's doorway before them. Smoke billowed out of the room so profoundly that it was hard to see even a few feet.

"Well that's not good. If Leon's anywhere, I bet he's in there." the senior agent said with a tone of 'unsurprised' between labored breaths. Not knowing how to respond, Skyler thought it wise not to say anything at all and simply nodded as they kept moving.

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Leon didn't know how long he had lain there; on the harsh, sultry floor of the cooker. Everything was muddled and slow. The heat and convulsions had drained a considerable amount of energy and the agent groaned as he tried not to think of how much blood he had lost lately. As the smoke gently wafted away, the agent was transfixed by the fluid movements. Then, as suddenly as he had slipped into that odd way, he was jarred from the peaceful illusion as the outlines of two people became visible amongst the bright lights. They were talking. Somehow, one of the men sounded familiar.

"Sir, I don't think that Agent Kennedy is in here." an unknown voice called.

"Maybe not but…the GPS's never been wrong before. I designed them myself. They should work." That voice was familiar to the agent.

"…M…ike." the agent tried to speak but the heat had made his throat so arid that it only came out as a hoarse whisper.

"Sir? Did you hear that? It came from over there. It sounded like a…Sir! I think there's a _person_ in the oven, Sir!" Skyler said as he pointed in disbelief, panic mounting with each syllable. Mike turned and immediately recognized the blonde hair and brown jacket through the veil of thinning smoke.

"Leon! Holy…Skyler, turn it off now!" Mike shouted as he rushed, through all the debris, to the open oven, leaving the shocked agent standing on his injury and wondering where the switch was. As Mike pulled his companion away, the youngest agent fumbled with the lever and eventually won the match, shutting the coils off and nearly collapsing on his right foot after he did so. The strain on his muscles caused the burns on his left side to act up again, at least focusing his mind on something other than just his foot. Mike had been helping the novice all the way until this point and the two cans of First Aid spray had dulled and disinfected the wounds, making him forget how painful his injuries really were.

"What's with the coat, pal? We all know you wanna be hot but really now." Mike said as he removed the insulation, trying to spawn a response. When the highest-ranking agent said nothing and didn't even smile, Mike removed his forged smirk. "Skyler, get some water out of the faucets." The lowest-ranking agent hadn't heard Mike this serious since he had started at the agency. As mike put Leon's coat beneath his head, he noticed the thick metal collar and the undeniable fact that his companion was covered in blood. Although most of it appeared on his face, all of his clothes were smothered in it. Leon's left arm being turned downward to the floor, the gash was indiscernible to Mike at that particular angle. Another undesirable fact was the repugnant stench that the agent gave off. The scent of rotting flesh and drying blood and juices made the chemical packed laboratory smell pleasant.

"What's this, Leon?" the middle-ranking agent asked as he began prying at the metal collar. The old, rusty device didn't give way easily. Mike continued to pry and wrench until he was afraid that he'd break his friend's neck, frustration growing with each jerk. Suddenly, Mike noticed the two metal twists on the back and laughed, at his own stupidity, as he began to gently unwind the clasps. He tossed the horrid object aside and noticed a relatively significant perforation in Leon's neck, bleeding openly. Lost in contemplation, Mike didn't even notice Skyler running towards them with a beaker of water.

"Sir, I think there are chem…umpf!" the young agent was cut off as he tripped over his blonde superior sprawled on the floor and landed directly on his face. Mike, unfazed and used to the clumsiness, took the still-clenched glass from the novice and tipped it into Leon's mouth.

Leon felt the cool, clear, luscious water flow gently into his mouth. The dry, cracked tissues burned as hydration revisited his cells. Filled with a new intensity of thirst, the agent pulled at the beaker, ushering more water faster and faster. Mike, growing more concerned by the second, lifted his friend's head with one hand and tried to lessen the flow with the other. Eventually, Leon began to choke, forcing Mike to pull his salvation away. Feeling much better than before, Leon groaned and laid his head back down, thinking of how he could stop the pain everywhere. Although there was a new vigor inside now and the side effects of the strange seizure had worn off, his impressive injuries still ached considerably. Skyler pulled himself up onto his forearms, trying not to crush his superior's feet. Mike pulled out one of his six remaining cans of new First Aid spray and began to mist the hole in Leon's neck. As a reflex, the highest-ranking agent shouted and kicked his left foot, connecting squarely with Skyler's jaw and sending the novice back to the tile flooring with a yelp.

"Yeah. This new stuff smarts, doesn't it?" Mike asked with a laugh.

"Not at all. What did I kick?" Leon asked in a cracked but sarcastic voice.

"Don't worry; that's just Skyler. He's the new one on our team, remember? Actually, I don't think ya've even met him yet. He's really new. He's not always helpful but he is always respectful." Mike answered with a smile as he dragged Skyler off Leon's feet by the collar.

"Sir, with all due respect, I try harder than you seem to think." the lowest-ranking agent said as he blushed and knocked Mike's hand away.

"See. He's snapping at me but he still calls me 'sir'." he said as he helped Leon sit up. "Ya bleeding anywhere else?"

"Um…yeah; my arm." the senior agent replied as he prodded at the raw injury.

"Good Lord! Who'd you piss off now? It's a good thing that I'm here to take care of ya! Are ya trying to get killed?" Mike asked as he grabbed Leon's arm away from the curious fingers and began to smother it in medicine from the same can.

"Of course not. I just have a knack for…" the agent was cut short by the stinging therapy.

"'…Being in the wrong place at the wrong time'. I know." Mike imitated as he capped the empty bottle and chucked it. Leon stared at the burning wound and wondered why the skin wasn't reforming but instead a scab was covering the area with a thin, filmy layer of puss.

"Why isn't the skin restructuring? I thought this was the _new_ prototype?" Leon asked in puzzlement.

"Well. We haven't mastered the skin reforming thing yet. See, every time we try, the new cells always lose their membranes and turn to putty. After that, the liquid skin wipes off like over-chewed gum." Mike said as he helped Leon off the floor.

"It doesn't work on burns?" Leon said as he pointed to Mike's right leg.

"Nah. We haven't mastered that either. God it's good to have your critical analysis back!" the middle-ranking agent said as he gave his companion a quick, manly hug. As if a light had suddenly turned on, Leon realized what all was missing.

"Where's the rest of the team?" Mike only stared for a little while, his smile liquidating into a sullen frown. He stared at Skyler, as if for help, and couldn't bring himself to tell Leon the truth. His friend had been so proud of his team. With good reason too. They had all been the best the agency had to offer and Leon was head of it; he was the best. Not only in the agency but internationally and he had worked hard to establish a reputable team with the best from training and other agencies. The eight others, who had been killed, all held rank on the NOC list, not nearly as high as Leon or Mike but they still held. Skyler hadn't had a chance to place yet and Mike held fortieth rank but the rest were in the fifties. For an entire team, that was hard. Naturally, everyone wanted to be on Leon's team, seeing as he was the head of it and held first rank. Leon had always been a hard leader but he was supportive and understanding in many cases, which made working for and with him a unique privilege. Mike knew it had taken Leon years to work his team to where it was; he knew because he had been there. He and Leon had been together, partnered from the very beginning and both rose quickly in ranks. He hated to tell his companion that the work he had done to build the strongest team for four years suddenly meant nothing.

"They're gone, Agent Kennedy, Sir." Skyler said timidly when Mike did not step in. Leon stared at the novice, trying to comprehend the words that had reached his ears. The boy tried to shift from his superior's gaze, fearing that he may receive a punch.

"What do you mean _gone_?" Leon asked in denial, knowing full well what was meant.

"Someone shot us down. The President is blaming it on the Spanish government but we have no idea who did it." Mike said quietly, trying not to upset his friend.

"Who's left?" Mike tried to avoid the question and averted his eyes. But, when Leon stood before him with the pleading look of panic, he had to give in.

"No one. William, Jack, Sarah, Angie, Darien, Max, Steve, Bill; they're all gone. Or, at least, their communicators aren't sending a signal any more." the middle-ranking agent said as he put both his hands on Leon's shoulders.

"That's…disappointing." There was a long silence after the senior agent said this. "It's not important now; we're on duty." Leon shrugged Mike's hands away and began to pace. His voice wasn't shaky but it was definitely different as he continued. "I know where Ashley is in this church but I need to know if you guys have found a good place to lay low for awhile."

"Well yeah, we found a kinda gorge thing by the lake but we haven't found Ashley yet. What good is a hiding spot if we don't have the subject?" Mike asked his colleague, puzzled.

"_You_ aren't going to find Ashley; I am. You need to get Skyler to a resting spot. He's not looking well…" Leon began.

"But…" Mike tried to interrupt his partner, knowing he'd fail.

"AND… I want _you_ to go with him because I don't think he'd last long in his condition." The highest-ranking agent raised his voice, overpowering his companion and staring at the wobbling boy. "I need you guys to make a camp there so that we can track you on the GPS and know how to get there."

"Okay, Leon. Just promise me that you won't do anything reckless. I don't know what happened to ya in that furnace but I don't wanna see ya like that ever again. I was worried about ya, man" Mike said as he resigned the argument.

"Wow. It's all sappy and brotherly-loving." Leon said with a light laugh. Mike wasn't amused; he still held the same beseeching gaze. "Don't worry. I'm okay now. I'll rescue Ashley and get to the rendezvous point as quickly as I can. I won't even shoot anything… if I can help it."

"Deal. But, just in case, I brought some of your favorites." Mike said grudgingly as he pulled Leon's TMP from his belt, along with a little ammo and some incendiary grenades.

"You're wonderful." Leon said with a smile as he gave his companion a pat on the back.

"Yeah, yeah. Go to Hell." Mike said, laughing at their unusual friendship and throwing Leon's faithful brown jacket at his face.

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Leon tiptoed as silently as the creaking stairs would permit. There was almost no illumination in the passage, causing the agent to stumble over the treacherously narrow steps and limiting his feet into a permanent arch. The route was dusty and uncomfortable but, it was leading upwards, indicating that the church must be above. With each step, the temperature lowered; a good indication that he was getting closer to the chilly air of December Spain and farther away from the heated laboratories beneath. A good fifteen minutes in, the outline of a light square emerged into the musty darkness. Grateful that he had not thrown his jacket away, Leon gently lifted the antiquated lid by the rusty metal handle. Everything was completely silent; so silent that it made the agent's ears ring. A loud snore broke the deadly calm, startling the agent and causing him to almost lose his grip on the metal bar. The agent peered attentively through the minute crack between the stone floor and the hatch. A man, draped in luxurious, mauve robes and slumped over a brown chair, had apparently forgotten the term of _guard_, considering he was snoring like an infant and practically inviting, anyone who wanted them, to take the cell keys that he held in his left hand. Taking it as a sign, Leon gingerly climbed out of the crevice and made sure to shut the trap door soundlessly behind him.

'**Not the color I would have chosen but hey, to each his own right?' **The agent thought as he slipped the keys out of the dozer's grasp with little to no effort. He turned to face the large oaken door behind him. **'I hope this is Ashley's. Otherwise, I might have a problem.' **Raking over the cubicle, Leon tried to see any form of movement or even life through the strange peep-hole in the oak door as he inserted the outlandish key. It was an incredibly dark space, given that the barred window provided some light from the sunrise and the spy-hole flooded a little of the church's glow in as well**. 'It's already light outside. How long was I out? I bet Hunnigan had a coronary heart attack by now.'** The agent thought as he stared at the strangely beautiful, gray dawn through the window. It was going to rain soon. No, not rain; pour. The outdated doorway sighed in protest as the moldy, distorted boards steadily responded to the agent's push and eventually swung open. Drawing his trusty handgun, the agent cautiously entered. As the light flooded across the dusty, grimy floor, Leon's eyes vacillated over a dark lump in the far left corner; where no light could reach. Diffidently, the agent seemed to glide over the grimy coat of muck and sludge, creating no resonance whatsoever. The communicator's radiance kissed the soft darkness, revealing a bright orange blouse, green skirt and blonde hair. Almost as quietly as he had come in, Leon swiftly kneeled, sheathing his gun for safety, to smoothly rotate the sleeping life form onto its back.

'**She looks like Ashley; same facial structure, hair color…figure. Stay on track, Leon.' **The agent thought as he took out the photograph; just for an exact reference. **'I shouldn't wake her; she'll scream. I don't think I can carry her without rousing her though. Ah, what the Hell. If she screams, I'll just have to shoot a few people.' **Leon thought as he returned the picture to its locale in his pocket and placed one hand under Ashley's neck and the other under her knees. Carefully raising her from the cell floor, the agent moved his hand from her neck to her back, allowing her head to fall on his shoulder and her arms to flop over his. She showed no signs of stirring. In fact, it was a little unnerving to Leon. Had he not been able to feel her breath on his neck, he would have presumed her dead. Leon exited the cell, gracefully catching Ashley's legs on the wall before doing so, and rounded the corner to the trap door. Seemingly more difficult than before, once he had unfastened the hatch, the stairs seemed twenty times steeper. The door couldn't be closed from the position he was in but Leon reassured himself that it couldn't have been that crucial at the moment. By the time anyone realized the girl was missing, he'd be long gone. The space was cramped and Ashley's legs were being bent perhaps a little more than they should have been but there was no other way. As long as he didn't trip from missing a step, they would both be fine. Relieved, Leon finally stepped into the warm laboratories twenty minutes later, counting how many times he had almost fallen. Quickly making his way through the first three rooms and trying to forget the recent incident, he found no issue in locating the underground passage. **'Great. From here on out, it's home free.' **

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'_**Mmm…Shane, you haven't held me like this in a long time.' **_the woman thought, indulging in the soft rocking motion and warm arms encasing her body. **_'I'm so glad you came for me, Shane. This is a definite improvement from the cell. Wait…am I still in the cell? This can't be Shane holding me…I was kidnapped!' _**Ashley panicked as logical thought returned. Her eyes snapped open to reveal the slender neck muscles of someone running with her in their arms. Too stunned to speak, the woman lifted her head slightly to see the person's face. _**'It is Shane. The blonde hair…wait' **_the sleep began to clear from her eyes now. **_'Shane has a thinner jaw line and…green eyes.' _**The man looked down, noticing for the fist time that she was awake. He immediately ceased the sprinting and set her down.

"Please remain calm. You're safe with me. Don't scream." he said in a voice that was definitely too matured to be Shane's. Ashley stared for a few moments, too in shock and frightened to even breathe, let alone scream. He stood there patiently, waiting for her to respond. "You can speak; I won't hurt you. My name is Leon. I'm one of the agents your father sent for you." She found her voice.

"Wait. My father sent you? The president?" she asked in disbelief.

"That's the one." the agent replied with a kind smile.

'_**He's the one I saw in front of my cell. He's even more attractive up close…' **_Ashley thought as she began to twiddle her fingers through the silence. She wanted to ask a lot of things but some of them she wasn't sure the agent even knew the answer to or, if he did, he wouldn't say it anyways.

"I'll have more time to answer your questions later. But, for now, you're going to have to follow me and do whatever I tell you to without question. Okay?" Leon asked, as if reading her mind and desperately hoping she would answer. **'Come on, Ashley. I won't kill you. If you don't talk to me, this mission could get really tough.'**

"O…okay." she answered quietly. She didn't know the agent and was hesitant to trust. For all she knew, he was another spy sent to kidnap her for someone else this time. Forcing herself to brush it aside, she consoled herself by concluding that, if he had wanted to kidnap her, he would have been much more forceful.

"Good. Follow me down this passage. It shouldn't be long now; you slept most of the way. I would offer you a flashlight or something but I don't have one. Until we can find a substitute, you'll just have to stick close to the communicator. Okay?" The agent asked as he turned and began to walk down the dark, damp passage. She panicked a little more, determined not to be left behind. She tiptoed behind Leon so closely that she could feel her breath refracting off the back of his neck. "You don't have to follow that closely. I won't leave you." Leon said, growing a little uncomfortable at the soft breath fondling his neck hairs.

"Sorry." Ashley replied, dropping back two paces**_. 'That was embarrassing. I'm sure I'm giving a great impression.'_**

"Don't worry about it. Just relax. Nothing's going to happen to you while I'm around. I deal with these situations all the time. Well, 'rescuing hostages' situations anyways. Remember, I get paid to do this." Leon said with a genuine chuckle as he smiled back at her over his shoulder and continued down the tunnel at a slower pace. **'She doesn't seem too difficult. At least she's willing to listen to me.'**

Ashley stayed farther back but still kept little distance between herself and her protector. He seemed to want to help her and not abduct her. **_'If he wanted to steal me, he would've just sedated me and escaped. My father must have sent him; especially since he's the one I saw in front of my cell. Good.' _**Ashley thought as she allowed herself a smile. This was far from a happy situation but it was definitely far more preferable than the damned cubicle she had been held in before. She felt safe with the agent. He was here to rescue her and protect her. He was her temporary refuge.

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"Come on down! I showed you how to recline! Do it!" Leon screamed up at the girl. Apparently, reclining down a cliff wall by rope was very difficult for her. Leon hadn't thought that it would be difficult for the girl, especially since he was so used to doing things like this. Mike had come over to see the commotion. It was very windy and rainy but supposedly it was daytime. The clouds cast a gray shadow over everything, creating the illusion of night.

"I didn't think about that one. I thought this was a good place to lay low for awhile. It has a river, a watchtower, a shed, good wood for a fire. I didn't think about it being hard to get to." Leon's companion said as he scratched his head.

"Don't worry about it. That's what makes it a great hiding gorge. She'll live." the senior agent replied with a sigh.

"I can't, Leon. I don't have the strength left! It's getting really slippery. What if I fall?" Ashley called over the howling wind and rain.

"We'll catch you, sweetheart. Just come down… Mike, where's Skyler?" Leon asked as he rubbed his temples.

"I had to make a shack kinda thing. It doesn't look the best but it'll fit us all and it keeps the elements out. Skyler's asleep by the fire in there. Kinda a rough experience for his first field job." Mike said as he pointed to the small camp behind them. Leon surveyed the gorge. Three sides were sheltered by high mountains and the third was blocked by numerous waterfalls, created by the river that ran through the gorge. There were two banks. One appeared to be inaccessible, considering there was no bridge and the river was too wide to swim without being sucked into the vortex of waterfalls. Mike had built camp on the left bank, beside one of the three watchtowers. That tower was empty, save for an old oil barrel but the other two suspended large crates by very rusty chains.

'**Good target practice for later.'** the agent thought as he returned his attention to Ashley. She was crying now, obviously having almost slipped a few more times.

"I can't hold on anymore, Leon. Help me." she was close enough to the ground so that the agent could catch her without difficulty but he knew that she wouldn't let go so easily. Mike sniggered and began to return to the shack.

"Okay. It's been thirty minutes; you have to be tired. How about you just let go? I'll catch you, I swear." Leon said, forcing patience for this affair, which had dragged on far too long.

"Y…you promise?" Ashley asked timidly as she loosened her grip and looked backwards at the agent.

"I promise." Leon said shortly, opening his arms wide. "On three. One, two.." Before the agent could finish his countdown, Ashley shrieked and flew downwards. Leon, a little alarmed at the early delivery, groaned as Ashley's full weight fell on his left arm. Although it was much better, it would never be the same again. As soon as Mike had seen Ashley slip, he had begun to sprint towards his companion.

"Did I just…oh my god…I just…oh." the girl said faintly as she lost all nerve and blacked out in Leon's arms.

"Jesus. Is she all right?" Mike asked frantically as he helped his companion carry her towards the humble, already dilapidating hut.

"She'll be fine. She just had her first fall scare. Now that we're all safely here in this place, we'll all be okay for awhile. We'll have to leave in a few hours but, until then, we have work to do. Call Hunnigan." Leon said as the two agents considerately placed Ashley by the fire, with her head resting on Mike's soft equipment case.

"Ya know, when they come for us…we'll have to move fast." Mike said to his friend as he pulled up his communicator and began sequencing the agency's frequency.

"Let's not think about that. We have a good, provisional shelter. I know the saying is something like 'Hurry up and wait.' but, since when have we followed that anyways?" Leon asked the middle-ranking agent as the comm. link began to whirr into the agency.

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End of chapter 4. Yay! I'm evil and proud. Lol. I hope that you all liked it just as much as the others. Please read and review. Suggestions and opinions are always welcome!


	6. Chapter 5: Untimely Premonition

Wow. It's been about three months since I've done this. I apologize sooooooooooo many times. School has been kicking my ass. I'm in three honors courses and I almost have a C in my math class so, yeah. I've been having fun. I'm in honors algebra two and I just realized last week that I only had half a year of algebra one in eighth grade (I'm in tenth, by the way) so, it's exciting. Anyways, I'll get off my soap box because no one cares. Lol. Okay everyone, this chapter really is not up to par but I promise that I have some wicked things planned for later so, bear with me through the painful chapters because I promise that I will make it worth your while. Before I do that though, I would like to answer my reviewers because they gave their time so I'll give mine. By the way, in case anyone cares, my birthday is in THREE DAYS. I'll be sixteen and I get to drive in TWO MONTHS! Yeah. If I can pay for a car…(ears shrink down). Lol, anyways…

Schwarz Stein: I'm glad that you'll wait patiently because, if I let my grades drop any more, I loose the computer for awhile, he he. That shouldn't happen though. Lol. I'm glad that you liked the chapter and don't worry, I did have fun. Lol.

Snow Puff: I'm glad that you really liked the chapter and , yes, I'm scary. That's why Saddler's easy. Leon's the hard one…just kidding. Lol. I'm glad friends didn't threaten me this time but still, I apologize for the delay. Lol. Enjoy.

Xhollisterhootiexo: Don't worry, there will be plenty of romance when people stop trying to kidnap Ashley and quit trying to blow Leon's head off. Lol. As for the lemon…there will definitely be lime and the more I think about it, I would like to say that there will be lemon but, you never know. Don't worry; you're not weird. Everyone loves a good lemon. (they just don't admit it Lol.)

Rpgfan04: I'm glad that you liked it and I'm glad you think I kept Saddler in character. It's actually ver hard…Lol. Enjoy.

Silverspoons: I'm glad that you liked it and don't worry, the story may very well become illegal soon. Lol. I am one of the writers that will make a story deserve the M title. Muwahaha. Okay, yes I'm creepy. Lol. Anyways, I'm extremely flattered by your compliments and I hope this next chapter doesn't disappoint you. I promise the next one will be better. Anyways, I'll let you judge because my friends always say I'm too hard on myself. Lol. I hope you like this next one as much as the others!

Linkygurl88: I'm glad that you liked it and I know that you didn't think 'asap' would be a month later but, here it is. Enjoy!

Caleb Nova: I'm relieved to hear your response and it's not that I expect you to review everything, it's just you wrote almost whole paragraphs before, Lol. I liked that because you are very talented yourself and it makes me feel good that someone at your level is reviewing my story. Does that make sense? Anyways, I know exactly what you mean by laziness. (that's why it took me what…three months?' ha…ha. Oh well. I hope that you enjoy this chapter as well. I must admit though, it's a little rough but the next one will definitely be much better. Lol. Enjoy.

Redneckbigdog: Wow. I'm glad that you liked it so much but this story probably won't be finished for a very long time. Don't worry though, I'll update as much as I can.

Windblade09: Wow. I think that's all I need to say. Wow. No, wait….OMFGWTFBBQ….holy MFASOSH…okay, my attack is over. Lol. I want to see if you know me well enough to figure that mess out. And please, don't ever sing that song again. (too many memories, grumble grumble) Lol. Jk. But I do hate that song. Don't worry, you don't need a hobby, you just need a break from school. Don't worry, Christmas is almost here! That means…oh shit! EXAMS! (breaks down in the corner and cries). Oh well. They only count as like 25 of the grade, no big deal. My birthday is in three days (yours is in four) so…I'll see you soon.

P.S.: If that ever happens when I become a cop, don't expect me to supply you with that stuff. Yeah we'll make a lot of drug busts in New York but I'm pretty sure that I'd get fired.

Note: I do not discriminate against gay, lesbian, or bisexual people. Some of my best friends are gay and I fully embrace that. So, any poking fun at gay people is fully in a jovial nature and not prejudiced. If I upset anyone who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual, I apologize now and I wish to state that it isn't meant to insult anyone. It's just one of the many facets of my humor. All right, now that I have you all wondering 'What the Hell is going to happen now?' Onward with the chapter.

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"Speech

Underlined words thinking aloud (mumbling)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter5: Untimely Premonition

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As deadly as the darkness surrounding her she crept. The frigid, monochrome stones seemed to softly whistle as she rappelled up the slimy, antiquated castle walls. The silence surrounding her was that of death; only accented by the hammering rain and fierce squalls of wind. Just keep telling yourself it's worth all of this. Find him for your man; your future corporation. The female agent grumbled as her chafed hands slid on the thick rope that was her life-line. As she topped the ramparts, a low corner of her diaphanous red dress caught a corner and tore a large slash all the way up to her right thigh. As she bent down to examine the damage, thinking that she rather liked the split, the familiar squeak of her communicator caused her to gasp in fright.

"Have you found him yet?" the forty-seven year old man asked over the communicator.

"I can't lock onto his frequency. I think the agency changes it every fifteen minutes." the woman of twenty six replied.

"Well then, Ada, we'll just have to learn to break it faster then, won't we?" the operator replied.

"I won't fail again, Wesker." the agent replied as she wiped a few of her soaking black bangs from her wind-blown cheeks.

"I know, my dear. You knew Leon well, correct? You knew him very well. And, if I recall, not just from the Raccoon City incident a few years ago... Hmm?"

"Yes but that was two years ago; I won't let the past interfere." she replied.

"That's why you're my good girl and I chose you to do this. Oh, and let's not forget about our scientist friend in all this excitement either, shall we?" Wesker said in his usual, deep voice.

"Ada out." the agent said as she hung up the communicator and proceeded to steal into the castle fortress. Hmm…, Leon. Why do you always complicate everything?

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"I can't hear you, Mike. I'm getting next to no reception on this end. Who's next to you? Did you ever find Leon? What about Ms. Graham?" Hunnigan fired off her usual interrogation process as both ends drove for clearer reception. Mike and Leon stood huddled over Mike's communicator. The temperature had dropped several more degrees, the wind hadn't ceased for the last forty minutes, and the torrential rains hammered the agents as they stood out in the downpour for lack of a signal in the hut.

"Hunnigan…Hunnigan; calm. It hasn't stopped raining for the last three hours but Leon's here and Ashley's safe." Mike replied as Leon and he shared a snicker at the support runner's panic.

"That's a relief! Unfortunately Leon, I have bad news for you too. Your team's chopper was shot down over a friendly foreign power's territory. You know what that means, right?" Hunnigan asked somberly as the picture came back into a clearer range. The two agents gratefully made their way back under the lean-to, praying that the clarity would remain constant.

"It was an act of terrorism; possibly an act of war. It can't be overlooked by the federal government and action is necessary." the senior agent said with a groan, realizing yet another setup for a particularly bad scenario.

"You hit the nail on the head, Leon. The President is meeting with the Spanish government and, if no one else is found responsible, war will ensue. In addition, as much as he wishes Ashley to come home, he refuses to send any more choppers for you for a duration of at least two days." Hunnigan said heavily as she pushed up her glasses.

"Sheesh. Whatever happened to 'Innocent until proven guilty'?" Mike asked as he began to towel dry his face with a cloth as the two agents sat under the make-shift shelter and warmed their hands by the fire.

"Hunnigan, you have to dissuade the President. I seriously doubt that Skyler and Ashley can make it forty-eight more hours here. Plus, the Spanish government doesn't know about the situation here. Of course no other culprit will surface." Leon said in a pleading tone as he stole the communicator from the lower-ranked agent.

"Do you have proof that the strange behaviors and deformations are linked to Umbrella or any other corporation slash cult?" Hunnigan asked shortly.

"Well…no but…"

"Leon, you know that 'well…but' doesn't sit well with the federal government. I'll see what I can do but…I can't promise anything. Hunnigan out." the support said as the link was cut and returned to the GPS screen.

"She seemed sorta snippy." Mike said as he placed the communicator back on his belt and fed the fire. "If anyone should be pissed, it's us. We're the ones that have to stay in this damned hell-hole for 'a few more days'."

"She worries more than she lets on.." Leon said as he reloaded his shotgun and checked his knife. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two friends as they prepared themselves. The fire cracked feebly as a few rain drops leaked through the thatched roof. The freezing downpour barraging the brush muddled Leon's senses and made him wonder how Ashley and Skyler could sleep through it. Lethargically, his mind drifted back to Saddler, making him shudder. **'I know I didn't enjoy it but then, why didn't I pull away immediately. What was that feeling inside?' **Leon thought as the enticing dance of flames mesmerized his gaze.

"Yo, Leon. Ya okay? Ya've got that look on your face." Mike said as he threw a pebble at his companion.

"Huh? What look's that?" Leon asked as he picked up the stone from the ground and chucked it into the fire.

"Ya've got that 'What the Hell were you thinking?' look." Mike said as he stood and sat next to the senior agent.

"Nah. I'm just thinking." Leon said with a somber smile.

"No ya aren't. When ya think, ya got that 'Piss off, I'm trying to figure something out.' look. No. Ya've got that stoic look ya get when ya think ya've done something wrong." Mike said as he elbowed the blonde agent in the ribs. Expecting his friend to at least smile, Mike tried to pretend that it was nothing when he realized that Leon still held the same blank stare. Once again, the deafening silence consumed every molecule of being. Mike knew something was amiss but he didn't know how to find out what without sounding like his mother.

"Mike? Am I gay?" the senior agent asked as he continued to stoke the fire. There was a long, unnerving pause as Mike chose his words carefully, not wanting to upset Leon more than he already was.

"No…well…I don't think…what kind of question is that?" Mike stuttered and bit his lip to keep from bursting into laughter.

"I'm not joking. Have I ever swung that way?" Leon asked as he sternly looked his companion in the eye.

"You mean when you're not drunk?"

"That's not funny, Michael Saxon." Leon said, using Mike's full name in order to convey his seriousness.

"Oh. Then you mean other than that pink G-string with the rhinestones…" Mike started as he received a disapproving glare and quickly ceased all verbiage instantaneously.

"You know that was a gag-gift from the office. But seriously…do you think I get off from guys and girls?"

"Well, that would make you bisexual and ya haven't come on to me yet. I'm pretty hot stuff so; nah I don't think so." Leon just stared at his friend of four years and began to repack his belongings. "Relax. When we're in the states, you bang a different girl every six months and ya always tell me how great it is. What made you think of all this anyways? Did a guy come on to you or something?" Mike asked in a more serious tone than before.

"No." The senior agent said flatly as he began to stamp out the fire. **'You couldn't call him a guy. He's more like a caramelized fossil.'**

"On a serious note; I don't know what happened but ya know I'm always here if ya need to talk about your boyfriend." Mike said as he began to stand.

"Ha, ha. You're funny. You couldn't carry a serious note if your life depended on it, Dr. Phil." The highest ranking agent said as he chucked a rag at his companion. As Mike ducked, Leon pulled his jacket off and began to examine his arm.

"Yeah. There's the Leon I know. How's the arm by the way?" Mike responded, relieved at the smile in his friends voice.

"So, since this spray doesn't re-grow the skin cells, it's like a spray-on, antiseptic Band-Aid?" Leon asked as he stared at the grotesque mark. There was a clear film, semi-hardened and cracked in some places, covering the wound. The agent knew there was a barrier there but being able to see every detail of the wound as it healed was uncomfortable.

"Yeah. That's the agency's idea. Jesus, did you break it already?" Mike said as he stared at the slow trickle of crimson liquid from a few of the cracks.

"Don't worry so much. It's better to let it get some air as long as I don't get anything else in it. Now quit giving yourself gray hairs and get Skyler up." Leon said as he wiped the trickle from his elbow, replaced his jacket, and walked over to the sleeping lump known as 'Ashley'. The agent wished he didn't have to wake her. **'Her voice grates on me after she complains for awhile but, other than that; she's not bad. Much better than most of the spoiled bimbos I've worked with before. It's important that she knows.' **The agent contemplated rubbing her with his foot to wake her and decided that she didn't deserve such a dishonor.

"Ms. Graham…Ashley." Leon said softly as he gently rocked her back and forth by the shoulder.

"Huh? Shane…" she moaned feebly as she rolled over and continued her slumber.

'**Who's this Shane guy? She'd better not talk about him constantly.' **the agent thought as he shook her a little harder than before.

"Hey, it's me, Leon. The federal agent; remember?"

"Leon? Oh…Leon. Sorry, I was…dreaming." she said groggily as she allowed the agent to help her up.

"I have something I need to show you. This way." Leon said as he guided the woman towards the river by the wrist.

'_**Me? What did I do now? Why are we going out in the rain? Wow…he has strong hands…and arms…and legs…and, well…everything. Why do I compare him to my boyfriend? He's in ten times the shape Shane was ever in. He's more attractive, and…his package…"**_

"This is the agency's standard-issue handgun." the agent said in a louder voice in order to reach over the wind and driving rain as he pulled the gun from its holster and turned to face Ashley. Ashley seemed to slowly awaken into reality as she regretfully lifted her head from the subject of her stare and returned Leon's gaze. "Did you hear me? This is a firearm." Ashley took the object in her hand gently as she stared at it with disgust. "And…you're going to have to learn how to use it."

"No way, Leon. My dad hates these things. If he ever found out that I'd fired one or even if I'd touched one." she began as the agent took the weapon from the girl and loaded it, distracting her rant.

"If one of these necromancers is about to kill you, I don't think that your dad would care what you used to survive. Besides, it's only for when I can't do it for you. Now, pay attention." Leon said as he held the gun out in front of the woman.

"O…okay." Ashley said as she tried not to be frightened of the metallic object as she wrapped her slender arms around herself in order to maintain some warmth.

"The very first thing that you have to remember is the SAFETY. When you're not going to shoot or when the gun is holstered, the safety is ALWAYS on. Otherwise…you'll end up shooting yourself in either the foot or the thigh and neither is enjoyable." Leon flipped the safety switch. "Is the safety on or off?" Ashley stared at it awhile and tried to decipher her choice. She guessed that when the switch was on the red marker, the safety was off. Red meant danger in everything else right?

"Off."

"Good. Now, you know that means that the slightest pressure on the trigger will send a deadly projectile soaring at over six hundred miles per hour, right? If fired, there is a good chance that someone will die, intentionally or not." Leon looked up at the girl, saw her terrified expression and tried not to laugh. "Don't worry; I'll teach you everything you need. You'll be a pro in no time. Now, line up with me." The agent said as he faced the river, spread his legs about one and a half feet apart, and motioned for Ashley to come towards him. Timidly she complied, allowing the agent to position her body in front of his. He placed her in an identical stance, close enough so that she could feel his body heat but he wasn't actually touching her. It was something wonderful in the harsh elements of the time. The soft, radiating body heat made the woman relax, acting as a shield from the berating weather. He gently took her left hand, placed the gun in it, and closed her right hand over the other. He then placed his hands directly on top of hers, allowing the rest of her body to be encased by his arms.

'_**It's warm. I can feel his chest rise as he breathes. Is my face flushing? I hope not. What if he sees? Stay calm…he won't notice unless you call attention to it.'**_

"Are you all right? You just started breathing heavily. If the gun frightens you too much, it's really not safe for me to…." Leon began as he loosened his grip on her hands and began to turn her around.

"No. It's fine. It's just that…it's, ah…it's really cold. And, I have problems breathing when it gets really cold outside." the woman said as she tried not to look back at the charismatic features of the agent and turned herself back to the river. "Now, teach me how to get this thing to shoot…the gun, I mean."

"If you're sure. Leon said as he re-positioned his hands over hers and tried not to think about how bizarre the woman was being suddenly.

'**I hope this isn't too much for her. Cold air, right. You don't breathe that way when you have problems with your air passage. Oh well. Maybe I'm too close. I actually really don't mind. I think I could get used to it after awhile…on track, Leon. You're on duty. She's the President's daughter, and she's six years younger than you are.'**

"It's really not hard once you get the hang of it. Just listen to what I tell you and you'll be fine. Now, this gun pulls to the left a little but not much. So, what you want to do is aim a little to the right of what you want to shoot. So, you just disable the safety, aim, and fire." He was incredibly close to her now. Every word conveyed right by her ear. Ashley thought of how close his mouth was to her neck; the most tender, supple outward lying muscle of a female. Leon guided her hand to the safety switch and helped her click it off. "Now, place your pointer finger on the trigger." He guided her finger into the loop with the precision of having taught before. Ashley felt her face flush even more and wondered why she was being turned on by such a strange circumstance. "Now, aim at that chain. It's a hard target because the crate is swinging but you can do it. I'll help you." Ashley slowly lifted the weapon and Leon's hands gently shadowed hers.

"And then…then I just…shoot right?" Ashley asked as the gun began to shake in her hands. The agent softly placed his hands on top of hers to stop the quivering.

"Now shoot." Ashley knew there was no sexual application to his actions or words but then why did it turn her on?

'_**I have a boyfriend. This is ridiculous. He's just trying to teach me how to fire a dangerous weapon. He thinks I'm a blonde bimbo and he's probably only into female agents anyways; since he has to be a secret or whatever.' **_She gently squeezed the trigger and tried not to think about what would happen after the right amount of pressure was applied. She waited; it seemed like it would never come. Then, the explosive sound made her shriek as she was thrown off-balance by the force in a puff of gunshot residue; her shoulders slamming into Leon's chest and her hips slamming into something that she wished she didn't know what it was. After the ringing in her ears ceased, she heard Leon give a small groan as he released his grip on her body and bent over in the opposite direction.

"Ah. That's the second time in the last seven hours. Oh…any hope I had of having kids is definitely gone now." the agent said, his voice cracking slightly as he tried to laugh. Ashley dropped the gun and ran over to Leon. She placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to talk.

"Are…are you okay? I'm so sorry. I…" her face burned bright red now as she tried not to hide it in shame. Leon looked up and smiled at the girl. Something inside of Ashley beamed. She had expected him to be angry with her but he was actually teasing.

"Trust me, sweetheart. I've had a lot worse than that in the groin. Don't worry. I didn't want kids anyways." The senior agent stood again and took a deep breath. He walked over to his handgun and picked it up as he stared at where the crate should have been hanging. "Well, look at that. At least you hit the crate too. That's not bad. That's not bad at all. Now, you do it on your own." Leon dropped the gun in her hands and stepped back.

"Okay." Ashley said timidly as she tried not to think of what would go wrong. She positioned herself as Leon had taught her and made sure that the safety was off. Once she was ready, she took aim and released. Both the crate and chain remained as they were.

"You forgot what I told you about the pull." the agent said with a small laugh. Ashley tried not to let her face redden even more as she straightened her shirt and took stance again.

'_**You can do this. You don't want him to think you're a moron. It's not so hard to do this now. Just remember exactly how the pull felt. Here goes nothing, I guess.' **_Ashley angled the target into her eyesight and prayed. After the reverberation, her heart palpitated irregularly as she heard the familiar chink of the crate's chain.

"AHIE ESTA!" A grating, mummified voice howled over the battering rain and wind. Startling the woman, the sudden jerk caused the gun to fire; the bullet ricocheting and speeding straight towards Leon. The agent, being preoccupied with searching for the source of the shriek, didn't dodge quite swiftly enough, landing the bullet straight in the left arm of his jacket. As he rubbed his hand down in shock, prying through the gash in his coat, he realized that the bullet had only grazed through his insulation and hadn't even drawn blood.

"Leon, what the hell are we gonna do? They're starting to climb down the rope. There's no stopping them." Mike screamed as he hobbled a half-conscious Skyler towards his companion. The agent's mind raced. The battering rain. The rushing water. Screaming. There was a pattern somewhere; there was a logic but there was also no way out but the way the ganados were discharging themselves from. Leon took out his communicator and stared at the familiar, blinking screen.

"Mike, there's another passage behind that waterfall. It's a manmade cascade. If I can find a way to block it…" Leon said in an incoherent tone and scanned the area astutely.

"No offense pal, but I don't think that we have that sort of time." Mike said as he pulled a TMP from his belt. He handed the weapon to Skyler and took out his own standard handgun. As the senior agent registered the metallic glint of Mike's handgun, a plan instantly formed behind his eyes.

"Target practice is over." Leon said as he stole back his weapon and rushed to the edge of the bank. The stunned girl stared at the agent, not knowing how to be useful in the current predicament.

"L…Leon? Where are you going! Don't leave us here!" she screamed as she crouched behind Mike and Skyler, who had now begun to fire a hail of bullets on the Ganados swarm. The agent gave no reply and only prepared himself for the difficult feat ahead. It was hailing rain and wind. The crate was not attached to anything under the surface of the liquid grave but instead was covered in a thick, green morass.

'**One misstep and I'm history. Shit. It'll be slippery so I can't land all of my weight on the surface. If I fall, I get sucked onto the grates, the water rushes over me and I suffocate. Good incentive not to fail right?' **Leon took a deep breath and leapt. His black sneakers squeaked and soared out from beneath his body. The agent quickly straddled the box, holding his weight up by his hands, clutching the splintering edges. He couldn't help but grimace as a few of the jagged spears drove themselves into his tender wrists. Pulling himself up slowly, the agent timed the rhythm of the river and finally found a comfortable footing. Leaping swiftly, Leon felt the box careen out from beneath his footing but it didn't matter; he was already safely on the bridge. **'I'm asking for a raise just for this.' **

"Leon! Hurry up ya jerk! Skyler just passed out on me!" Mike yelled as he held the power of a TMP in his left hand and a handgun in his right, the form of the novice visible in the gushing mire.

'**How and the hell do I get to the other side! That's where the lever is! Damn it!' **The remaining crate whistled in the wind as the staggering tempests picked up strength and resilience. **'Ashley shot down the other crates. I can do the same with this one. I just need a higher vantage point in order to hit the chains.' **The agent thought as the second high tower traversed his vision. The agent strained every muscle in his shoulders and arms as he scaled the grimy, crumbling stepladder with a speed nothing short of strenuous under the current conditions.

"Ah! Leon, help!" Ashley shrieked above the torrents. Leon whirred around on the ladder, stopping dead in his ascent, and discerned the clouded form of the President's daughter wrestling with a Ganados; Mike too busy staving off three of his own to help her. Leon quickly took the pistol from his pants and aimed with his left hand, his only support being his right hand tightly clasped on the ladder. Firing two shots, the bullets both found their mark directly in the Ganados' forehead. The head burst all over the girl, drenching her in bits of gray organ and lifeblood. Leon heard her traumatized, horrified screams and sobs travel over the winds but he couldn't help her anymore now or they'd all die. Stealthily shooting the crate down and remounting the ladder in an almost uniform movement, the agent jumped from only half-way down. When he reached the foot of the bridge, he looked to his left and sighted Ashley backed up against a post, shying away from four or five Ganados. The box had actually moved closer to her side after Leon had jumped from it, giving her an advantage.

"Ms. Graham! You're going to have to jump. I don't have enough ammo for all of them!" the agent screamed, trying to get to the girl. She was traumatized, not even registering the agent's presence. "Ashley!" she looked up. "You have to trust me." the agent held out his hand. "You're going to have to get on that crate and pull yourself across with the grate system. Okay?"

"I…I'll slip L…Leon." she squeaked between sobs.

"Just do it. I'll catch you if you slip." the agent said desperately, taking note of the minuscule gap between the girl and the crazed psychopaths. "If you don't trust me, Ashley, you're as good as dead anyways." he hated to be so blunt but now was not a good time for fluffy encouragement. It was a time for hard motivation. The girl stared at him in blank shock for a minute and then gingerly clambered onto the slick surface, nodding as if admitting something to herself inwardly. The agent drew his handgun as the Ganados closed in on Ashley. The girl pulled on the grates with all her might, the crate acting only as a separation between her feet and the tributary. The lead Ganados lunged at the vessel, only to be greeted with a heavy handgun bullet to the forehead, courtesy of the agent. Ashley felt the warm, crimson liquid wash over her shoulders and combine with the tepid rain dousing every facet of her clothes and skin.

'_**I have to keep going.' **_she thought as she clenched the grates tighter and forced herself to fight back the tears welling in her crystalline orbs. **_'If I can get to Leon, I won't have to worry. He'll save me. My hands hurt but it's only a little farther…I can make it.'_** The agent motioned to Ashley and encouraged her to increase her rate of pull. The girl stopped a foot away from the bridge and reached one hand to the agent. Leon took her arm with both hands and heaved her shivering body from the nearly icy doom.

"You all right?" he asked as he looked at her face for any kind of response. Ashley stared into the agent's icy blue eyes and tried not to cry but she could not stop the droplets from forming. Then, a flash of brown vest and a farmer's hat became visible behind the senior agent's shoulder.

"Leon!….." Ashley screamed to warn the agent but it was too late. Leon felt the heavy collision of a shovel with his skull. The world spun, sending the agent to his knees. No, he was face-down on the bridge…or was he somewhere else entirely? Everything was so muddled and moving so fast in a carousel of colors that it didn't make any sense.

'**Where's Ashley? I don't have her hand any more. Did she fall? What was behind me? I have to get up.' **Leon's thoughts were scattered and random but the familiar shriek of Ashley's voice brought him back from the carousel and plunged him into an unusually sharp and vivid reality. Once everything had stopped revolving, the agent realized that he did still have Ashley's hand but she was in fact being tugged and ripped every which way by the river's swift current. A sickening laugh caused Leon to arch his head backwards and beside, spotting a Ganados with a shovel raised high.

"Not today, bastard." Leon yelled as he raised his leg high and struck the Ganados directly in the stomach, sending the brainwashed being backwards into the other division of the river. He hoisted the woman out of the rough undercurrent and caught her as she stumbled forwards. "You all right?" the agent asked her again as he held Ashley to keep her from collapsing. The woman did not reply but only nodded her head in agreement as he took off his jacket. As the agent placed the thick cover over her shoulders, she stared at his face. There was some kind of concern there but mostly only for their situation, not her. The romance from before had been artificial; the result of her first, close male contact in too long. Quickly the woman realized that it had truly been in her head. Ashley stared up pleadingly at the agent, hoping for a smile at least. "Stay here." Leon said as he recognized the all too familiar look, patted the girl on the back, and ran towards the other string of crates. Perhaps at a different time the agent would have been more understanding towards the girl but the Ganados weren't going to wait for him to make sure that she was uninjured before they attacked more voraciously. Leon gracefully traversed the crates, with the gained ease from the familiar position, and yanked on the lever as hard as his raw hands would allow. The rusty metal groaned and whined as the agent watched the waterfall diminish into a thinner and thinner trickle. Upon returning to the center of the wooden viaducts, the path became unmistakably visible.

"Leon! I'm almost out, man!" Mike said as he ran to the river with the drowsy, disadvantaged version of Skyler draped over his shoulders. The senior agent contemplated his action. After noticing the metal hoop on the left corner of the crate, a conclusion presented itself.

"Ashley, I need rope. Give me your sweater." Dazed and ignorant to the usefulness of her sweater, the woman untied it and handed it over. Leon began to mercilessly shred the article of clothing into two, long strips.

"I paid one hundred and fifty dollars for that!" she shrieked as she could only watch helplessly. She knew that, in their situation, it was not a large quandary but to shred a woman's favorite article of clothing without asking or even giving forewarning was like penetrating the confines of her purse without permission.

"That'll teach you to buy over-priced clothes." the agent said as he jumped back onto the tiny crate, looped one end of both strips through a diamond in the grates, the other through the metallic ring on the cube, and coupled the two together. It wasn't a permanent fix by any means and it certainly wouldn't hold long but the agent hoped it would provide enough stability and just enough time for a brief escape. "Mike, hand me Skyler. Ashley, get ready to receive him." Ashley huffed in agitation at his remark but silently agreed to do as he bade. Leon sat on the crate, legs dragging in the current, as he eyed the tether as it slowly began to unravel from its assignment. His companion slowly shoveled over the novice, causing the crate to bob and dunk. Leon tentatively gripped the half-conscious agent as he navigated the narrow channel. Ashley reached her slender, white wrists out to the agent and sat on the ground, preparing herself for the heightened pull. As soon as Ashley made contact with Skyler, Leon pushed and in fact almost hurled the novice into the girl. Quickly returning for Mike, all soon stood securely on the center platform.

"Where do we go from here?" Ashley asked timidly as she helped Leon hoist himself from the coursing canal. Too filled with adrenaline to do anything but breathe, the senior agent pointed to the scarcely perceptible cavern in the primeval stone.

"Oh come on. What is it with these people and narrow, dank, dark passages?" Mike said as handed Skyler to Leon and reloaded his guns with what little ammunition was left.

"Let's just haul ass. We can ask whoever's in charge when we meet the bastard." Leon said as he placed Skyler over one shoulder and began at a jog to the tunnel. Once everyone was firmly inside the cavern, Leon passed off the novice to his companion. "Hide behind something. I'm going to block the entrance."

"What if there's no way out?" Ashley asked as Mike took her hand and began to drag both of the younger generation to a safe alcove.

"Relax. Would I have led us in here if there was no way out? This GPS is never wrong and it says there's an exit about two miles south. If you want to argue with that, please, wait outside for the zombies to lead you a different way." Leon said as he took the last, normal grenade form his pocket and pulled the tab. Ducking behind a stretch with the others, the earth-shattering blast caused the walls to quake and crumble, blocking the Ganado's only entrance within a few miles.

"How many of those did ya take?" Mike asked in astonishment as the final few pebbles fell into place and the dust began to clear.

"I have two more incendiaries and one more flash." Leon replied calmly.

"Ya've gotta stop taking things from the weaponries storage without notifying me. Now my ass has to explain why more is missing than should be! Do ya know why I say 'my ass' instead of 'I', Leon? Because I have to lie; talk straight through my ass." Mike replied with a laugh at his friend's astuteness.

"Isn't that why you're an agent; you're good at it?" Leon said as the party stood in the final clearing wisps of grit and smoke.

"Wha…what the hell?" Skyler said as he sat up and began to rub his temples.

"Good morning, cadet Skyler. You just missed the most exciting day of your career." Leon said as he helped the boy sit and waited for Mike to finish scouting the opening of the grotto.

"Agent Kennedy, sir. I'm sorry if I've been a burden. I didn't mean to cause complications, sir. I just…it's an honor to be on your team, sir. And, oh, sir, to be working with you; it's been my dream since my first day at academy..and"

"Slow down there, Casanova. Relax before you knock yourself back out. How are you feeling? Can you stand?" Leon said to quiet the young agent.

"Oh sure." Skyler said as he quickly regained footing. Leon looked at him with surprise. After his laying down so long, the agent thought that he would have been at least dizzy.

"Did you get hurt a lot or get made fun of a lot as a child?" Leon asked.

"Y…yes, sir." Skyler replied timidly.

"You healed quicker than most?" the novice nodded. "That explains a lot." The senior agent stared at the novice. Awed as he was, something was not right with the boy. His color was that of a pale, peaked Renaissance man and his eyes appeared to be glassed and not entirely focused.

"All clear up here, Leon" Mike hollered as he rejoined. "Hey, we've got us a live one." Mike said, patting the boy on the back.

"Mike, come here a second, hold on, kids" Leon said as he dragged his friend to the far corner, away from Ashley and Skyler. There's something wrong with Skyler. I know I'm not a baby-sitter but if he's going to just blow out on us, we can't really rely on him to do much.

He hasn't shown any signs of illness. I think he just needs time to get his strength back up. Until then, we won't give him any of the hard stuff. Mike whispered as they both stared at the youngest agent.

" All right. Let's go. Follow my communicator." Leon said as he held the shimmering screen above his head and began to transcend the icy darkness before him. It was unnerving; the icy blackness yielded no pliability. There was one form of vision. The communicator offered a slow, painful radiance. Leon felt the young woman behind him pulling at his already tight shirt. No one spoke into the silence. Calm had never intimidated the agent but his senses were exceedingly sharp and every noise became audible in the deathly stillness. It was like a disease; one noise triggered another and it grew until it would drive someone mad. The towing squeak of his pulled shirt added to the huffing of the young woman, which added to four sets of footsteps, which then added to the peaceful noise of vacillating water.

'**That's water. The GPS didn't notify me of any water. Oh shit. What if…thank God.' **The agent breathed a sigh of relief as the group reached another canal with a tiny, decaying boat.

"All right everyone; this is our ride out." Leon said as he hopped into the tiny craft. Skyler gingerly clambered in and produced a whine and crackling from the hull. Mike unsurely sat at the stern and clamped onto the metal docking hook for what appeared to be dear life. "Come on, sweetheart." Leon said to Ashley when he noticed that she was making no effort to climb in.

"There's no room, Leon. The boat's going to break. I don't think it can hold my weight." she said as she took of his jacket nervously and began to twiddle with it.

"If it can hold three federal, male agents in their twenties, I think it can hold you." Leon said as he grabbed the end of one of his jacket sleeves and yanked. Collapsing on top of the agent, the girl shrieked as the boat cracked and moaned horribly, setting off a string of panic in the young female.

"Oh shit! I don't want to die, Leon. HELP!" she screamed as she climbed nearly onto the agent's shoulders. Shortly after she ceased her panic attack, the boat quieted and began to creak forwards. When she realized that the sky was not raining its wrath upon her, she quickly dismounted Leon's back and blushed shamefacedly at the old, oaken panels.

"Umm, guys…there's water leaking in." Skyler said in a high pitched voice as he poked at one of the holes in the hull.

"That's not funny. Let me enjoy my embarrassment in peace." Ashley said as she handed the brown jacket back to Leon.

"We've gotta natural, Leon. Better look out." Mike said as he pushed the engine to run faster. All four individuals sat in silence. Mike and Leon snickered at each other in the back. Skyler sat stolidly at the front and Ashley spent her time choosing when and when not to look at Leon.

'**It's strange, about Skyler. He's not better. I can sense it. Something doesn't feel right about everything. I hope we won't be blind-sided by anything.'** Leon thought stoically as the persuasive snickers died and everyone began to sink into their own thoughts down the dark, dank alleyway.

'_**They're all making jokes because they're all nervous. Why are they all nervous? I'm the one who just made an ass of myself.' **_Ashley thought as she stared at Leon absent mindedly. When she noticed the agent had registered her gaze, she quickly stared at the wooden planks. Something inside compelled her to try again, though. This time the agent was staring at her. But it was different. It wasn't the same, calculating, soul-penetrating stare as usual **_'Is that a smile? I must just be paranoid. I mean, what else could happen. We've seen so much shit, there's no way there are any weirder things out there, right? I mean, if Leon's genuinely smiling, it must be okay right?'_** she thought as she stared ahead at the long, winding passageway; they had a long way to go.

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Bum, bum, bah, buh, bum. All right, I'll stop with the theatrical noises. Lol. End of Chapter 5! YEY! I hope that you all liked it. Please read and review! Opinions and suggestions are always welcome!


	7. Chapter 6: Under Appreciated

Hey everybody! Let me just start by saying that I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry! It's been about five months since I've updated for those of my readers that have been following me. For my new readers, you're probably very confused if you look at the publish date. The thing is, I recently split up from someone and they were mad at me for hurting them or some mellow-dramatic crap, they stole my password and deleted my story in a childish fit, so it's all a big mess. This story has gotten a lot of support though, about 32 reviews or so. I always answer my reviewers before every chapter so, that's what all the stuff is before the chapters. Sorry if anyone is confused! Now that school's over and I'm not sick anymore, there should be more productivity from this one to make up for the lost time! But, I'm back and I hope that I haven't lost any reviewers! Oh, I also lost a lot of reviews because my data bases were wiped so, sorry if I forgot about anyone. The only ones I have are the new ones.

Angel Himura: I'm so glad that you like it! I'm always happy when people are thrilled because it makes me know that I'm doing a good job! Here's your next chapter. Enjoy!

Rpgfan04: I haven't heard from you in forever! I'm so glad that you laughed at that! I didn't know if it was actually funny or if it was just four o'clock in the morning talking. Yes, Leon getting kicked in the groin twice was meant to make the guys feel sorry for him and scrunch up their faces and the girls laugh and feel sorry for him at the same time. I'm so glad that you like it! Here's your next chapter!

Wayra: Hi! You're new! I'm glad that you like my character work because that's what I'm working the hardest on. There's a lot more coming in this chapter. Don't worry. Although it may take me awhile to update, I have no intention of ever dropping this story!

Da man Leon: First off, I like your name. Don't worry, there's a lot more romance and character bonding in this chapter. It's what you'd call a fluffy, emotional chapter. But, I'm glad that you like it otherwise. I try. As far as your story, tell me what it's about and I'll be happy to give you a few tips. Enjoy!

Warrick oakes: I'm glad that you liked the gaps I filled; I tried. Don't worry, there's a lot more romance in this chapter than the others. I'm glad that you're engrossed in my story and I assure you that I will try not to kill anyone through boredom. Enjoy!

Everyone read and review and oh yeah, make sure you tell me if it's up to par or not! I love you guys! Enjoy!

"speech

Underlined Words thinking aloud (mumbling)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter 6: Under Appreciated

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Small globules of sweat beaded his brow as the milky white pallor of his features gave off a sickly aura. The disease had taken hold of him and its grip could not be loosed. He breathed in segmented patterns and moaned for relief from the horrible agony as he turned and reached out for a comfort that wasn't there. Although the decrepit cabin was dimly lit by a few, archaic oil lamps, his vision remained in clouds and the voices calling to him no longer made any sense. He had no perception of reality and no concept of time. Nor did he truly know if he was still alive or not.

"Mike. Is Skyler still with us?" Leon asked with a grunt as he placed the final bookshelf in front of the last open window on the bottom story of the spacious cabin..

"Yeah…but he looks pretty rough. He stopped answering my questions about an hour ago, when we were holed up in that cabin in the graveyard, and the only thing he's said since is 'make it stop'. His leg's completely dead and I think his lungs are collapsing." Mike said as he patted the young agent's brow with a torn piece of his sleeve and Ashley supported Skyler's head.

"Damn it. Do you have any idea what specific disease caused it? I bet whatever those villagers have must have affected him." the senior agent said as he began to pull out his communicator. The novice agent gave no signs of recognition and only continued to writhe in Mike's grasp.

"It could be a number of things. I'm not anywhere near a field doctor but, judging from his symptoms, I'd say that it's a bacterial virus that was caused by the infection of the open injury in his leg; something like gangrene maybe? That's the best I can give ya." Mike said as Skyler gave a particularly violent groan.

"Is there anything we can do for him?" Ashley asked as she brushed a few of the novice's hairs from his forehead.

"Not without penicillin." Leon said flatly as he tuned into the agency.

"Or a decent sized pair of choppers and a proper tourniquet." Mike said as he continued to dab helplessly at the salty liquid now masking the young man's face.

"You and Leon could do that? I mean, the agency teaches you that?" Ashley asked in horror as Leon began a hushed conversation with Hunnigan on the other end of the room.

"I couldn't do it but Leon could. Apparently he's done it before; when he was in the army at seventeen." Mike said as he squeezed out the makeshift handkerchief.

"He's amputated someone before?" Ashley asked in astonishment.

"He had to. He was the commander of his infantry, they were in the middle of nowhere in Iran, with no way of contacting help, and one of the men under his lead was going to die unless he did something. So, he did." Mike said as he gently lifted Skyler's legs upwards to keep the circulation going.

"Wait but…if he was seventeen, he never went to college? He never even finished high school?" Ashley asked as she helped Mike circulate by rubbing Skyler's arms.

"Nah, I think he finished high school. He actually enlisted at seventeen because the government needed… well, let's just say that the government didn't care if he and his men made it out alive or not. Anyways, he never went to college but hey, he's the smartest guy I know; especially under pressure. He says he read a lot. I'd believe him too. I was on a flight with him to Bangkok once, and he went through three books. Some of them I didn't even understand the words in. He also mentioned something about graduating high school early and not being able to afford college so he volunteered for the army for money or something. Ya'd have to ask him more about it. But his past…it's always a touchy subject ya know…" Mike said as Skyler reached up and grabbed his collar, cutting of the account of his companion. The novice stared submissively into Mike's eyes with the glare of acceptance as the higher ranked agent felt the icy needles of reality pierce his hope with an obdurate cruelty.

The senior agent returned from the communicator call with a somber expression. "Well, I have…" Leon paused his speech as he caught sight of the young man on the ground. It was not Skyler; it was a shell of what once had been a boy of great enthusiasm. It was a husk of a man that was now an animal with a crazed look in its eyes. There was something worse paining him than just the helicopter injury. That was the look that all of the villagers had had. **'This isn't gangrene but what the hell is it?' **The disease had torn whatever sanity had lingered in his mind for the last tedious moments. Then, a revelation dawned on the agent's frantically probing mind. "Mike, get a sedative out of your pack. Skyler, do you remember being attacked by anyone before Mike found you? Maybe men in hoods with a syringe?" Leon said as he tried to stall the fit that he knew was evident.

"Wha? Why do we need…" without warning, the boy thrashed out, tossing Ashley backwards and striking Mike harshly in the jaw. Leon dove on the novice, trying to contain the aberrant, newly-attained strength that was erroneous of a dying man. The two agents reeled across the soiled ground as their limbs became intertwined and a center coffee table toppled upon them. The boy slammed Leon's head to the ground and stood on one leg, foaming at the mouth and growling with insatiable rage. **'It won't matter now. What if this is what their 'gift' was? But, then why didn't I react this strongly?' **Leon seized the opportunity and kicked Skyler right on his good leg's knee cap, buckling the appendage and sending the animal to the ground. Mike bound the boy to the ground with his weight and plunged a deep syringe into his left neck veinThe thrashing convulsion ceased and all was quiet, still. Leon dashed to Ashley's side and helped her off the ground. Although he said nothing, there was a slightly gentler side to his touch this time. There was more concern there than there had been before. **_'It's in your head, Ashley. This is a stressful situation and Leon is incredibly sexy. It's in your head.'_** Ashley thought as Leon returned to Skyler's side.

"Wha…what did I do, Sir? I remember lunging and fighting but…why, Agent Kennedy, Sir?" the novice said as Mike helped him sit up straight.

"Well, other than making my ears ring a little, you didn't do much but I think we need to share something with you" Leon said as he prepared to break the news. Mike gave a disapproving glare and motioned a slit across his throat. **'You have to lie to stay alive all the time, Leon. Just tell him he'll be fine and we'll stick with him until he dies.'** "The disease, it…it's cleared a little more than before. The fit you just had was a way for the disease to jettison itself slightly. You'll be…free in a couple of hours."

"Ahie esta, Bitorez!" a shrill cry rang through the otherwise silent night as it became evident that their safe haven was no longer out of harm's way. Mike cracked open the cabin door slightly to peer outside as his eyes registered swarms of bloodthirsty Ganados and Bitorez.

"Operation slayer, Leon. We're okay on ammo from the graveyard, lots of enemies." Mike said as he bolted the door tightly and repacked his guns.

"What does 'slayer' mean?" Ashley asked as Leon coarsely handed the barely conscious Skyler over to her.

"It means stay out of our way. Take Skyler upstairs and hide in the best place possible." Leon said as he leaned against the cabin door. Tiny thuds and raps began to berate the door but the Ganados' strength was no match for the heavy oak. As the number outside increased, the Ganados began splintering other entries. "Mike, you've got to hold this until Ashley can get upstairs with Skyler! If I help her, they'll go faster." the agent said as he began to dash to the staircase.

"Leon, I don't think we have that much time here. I can't hold them alone." Mike said as a bloodied hand crashed through the bookshelf and attempted to coil itself around his throat. Leon immediately retracted his previous path and re-stationed himself in front of the door, understanding that Mike couldn't hold all of them unaccompanied. An odious roar reached Leon's ears as he heard the heavy gait of a large, charging man. Before he could dodge, the agent was sent face forward, among the splinters of the once oaken door, into the remnants of the formerly destroyed coffee table. Mike began to open fire as a hail of bullets sent the stench of gun powder and the sound of ripping flesh into the air. Ganados' bodies fell around him like daisies in a firestorm but the village chief simply smirked and walked slowly towards the agent. Mike continued heavy fire with his TMP but the monster wouldn't even flinch. Bitorez lifted the middle-ranked agent from the ground as if he were a puppet and hurled him into the decrepit armoire in the corner.

'**Bullets aren't working, maybe knives.' **"Come on, you bastard!" Leon yelled through vehemence as he drew his knife and leaped onto the chief's shoulders**. 'This wasn't smart. Why didn't think this through? At least the other Ganados seem to be at bay.' **Leon frantically thought as he drove the blade directly into the back of the chief's neck. The giant's arms flailed as he screeched and tried to dismount the agent. Leon clung for dear life and repeatedly dodged the huge hands that were trying to squeeze him to death or hurl him into more wood. Ashley shrieked as she tried to hobble up the stairs with the delusional SkylerFrightened and profusely sweating, Ashley drove her tiny frame as hard as she could to reach their goal. **_'Oh my god! Why are men so heavy! Focus, Ashley. I can do it. I'm half way up.' _**Seeing the whir of the senior agent and the chief only made her hobble faster but panic rose in her heart as Leon began to lose grip. Mike nervously hailed another set of bullets, praying that he didn't hit Leon, but it was too late. Bitorez tore Leon from his back and flung the agent deftly into Ashley and Skyler. It all happened too fast. Leon crashed into the hobbling pair and in a horrible splintering of wood and agonized screaming; all three plunged into the basement below.

It was black; a pause. Then, reality. Leon could hear the gunshots. Mike was alone, fighting Bitorez. The agent tried to heave himself up but there was something restricting the lower half of his body. It was dark but the agent could barely discern the outline of a large beam. Recklessly, Leon began to strain against the beam as quickly as he could. He felt the beam shifting as he began to kick free and desperation and adrenaline drove him harder. As he finally loosed the large rafter, pain seared through his abdomen and left arm. Reloading his shotgun and sheathing his knife, the agent clambered out of the pit in the stairs with unnatural speed. Bitorez closed in on a cornered and battered Mike as the agent fired his remaining salvos, incapable of doing anything else; making all other thought and energy immaterial. As Bitorez stood over his companion chuckling, Leon pointed the barrel directly at the chief's temple with a vicious hatred and pulled. The ring was deafening as brains and skull showered Mike in a grotesque cascade of blood and viscera. All of Leon's revulsion and abhorrence of the man vanished as that final shot rang melodiously in his mind.

"Mike, are you all right?" Leon asked concernedly as he stepped over the massive carcass and placed a hand on his companions shoulder. Mike lifted his head slowly and stared at Leon in silence. "Yes? No? Are you hurt?" Leon asked again as he tried to discern what was running through the lower-ranked agent's mind. Then, his memory came back to him as he realized that Ashley and Skyler were still ensnared in the basement.

"Y…yeah. I'm…fine." Mike said undecidedly as he set down his TMP and steadied himself against the wall. Leon quickly re-strapped his shotgun and rushed to the massive hole in the staircase.

"Ashley? Can you hear me?" the agent called out as he shined his communicator's light into the dusky crater. There was no reply, only the sound of dust shifting. Leon lowered himself into the basement and began to pull up pieces of debris. The agent's heart raced as sweat began to drip down his forehead. He plunged deeper into the pile and there was still no sign of the President's daughter. **'Please. This mission isn't over yet. It can't be in vain. Ashley, where are you?' **"Ms. Graham, if you can hear me, answer me! Please!"

"L…Leon, I'm…over here." the tiny voice squeaked out from a corner between sobs. Leon shined his light into the murky curvature with an uncharacteristic apprehension. What would he see? A bloodied mangled corpse? A woman missing a limb? As the light shined over the dirtied blonde hair and the fair skin, the agent's breath rose in his chest again. She was all right. Her face; tear-stained but beautiful. Her eyes; beautiful amber orbs that poured all of her fear into his soul.

"Are you all right?" Leon asked as he knelt down in front of the girl and retrieved his first aid spray from his pack. As he moved to place his hands on the girl's shoulders, she flinched, shying away from his touch. The agent didn't understand the source of the revulsion but felt it best to obey her recalcitrance and wait for her reply.

"Y…yes but Skyler, he…I don't know." Ashley sobbed as the memories flooded back into her brain. The crash of the wood; the searing pain in her side; Leon's, Skyler's, and her own voice piercing the dusty depths with blood-curdling dismay. The fear was too commanding for her feeble state of mind. Seeking comfort, she launched herself at the blonde agent before her. Leon, only vaguely surprised at this act, dropped the first aid spray and laid his second knee on the floor so he could better console the girl. Her suppurations had intensified, causing her tiny frame to virtually quake in his arms. **_'He'll never see me; he'll never know but please, God. Make it stop. Let him hold me just for awhile longer. '_** "L…Leon, don't leave me like he did."

"I won't leave you; I swear." The shaken agent replied softly in her ear as he wondered so many things. **'Who is 'he'? What's happened to you, Ashley? I want to help you but I can't.' **Leon thought as he firmly lifted the young woman's face to his. Their eyes met reflectively; a crystalline blue meeting a chaotic amber. The agent was fighting desires that she would never know; she could never know. "Ashley…where is Skyler?" The girl said nothing but only pointed a single, trembling finger at the vast pile of wreckage that the senior agent had not yet scrutinized. As Leon's eyes vacillated fleetingly over the ruins, the palm of a distorted, blood-spattered hand peered through a crevice in the wood. "All right. Let's get you upstairs. Mike will help you." the agent said as he guided Ashley to the hole in the ceiling. When the girl finally pulled herself up with the agent's aid, she turned around to stare at him with silent bewilderment. "I'll be there soon. You go ahead." Still Ashley said nothing but only obeyed what she was told to do.

The senior agent retrieved the first aid spray from the grimy floor but simply consigned it to his pack, knowing that it would be wholly useless. As Leon grasped the shattered hand, the sickening crackles of broken bones and tattered flesh reached his ears. He began to pull gently, soft moans and whimpers traveling, tangled from the rubble. "Skyler, can you hear me?" the senior agent asked as he finally wrenched the boy free. The young novice only writhed and moaned in response. Leon knelt down next to Skyler, trying to offer comfort. The once attractive, youthful boy had been turned to a decrepit carcass. Any recognizable features had been marred and blended in a mesh of blood and scars.

"P…please kill me…Agent…Kennedy…Sir." the boy murmured through his distorted maw. As he reached up to grab at Leon, his arm wavered around, trying to stumble onto what he couldn't see.

"…Okay. But, you need to tell me something first, Skyler." Leon said as he took the novice's hand in his. "Were you attacked? Did men in big robes attack you? Did they inject anything into you with a syringe?" Skyler began to panic with all of the questions asked that his brain couldn't compute at the time. He began to whine and pull off and on the ground as he tried to understand anything around him. "Shh, it's all right. One question at a time, agent." Leon said austerely but delicately. The young novice seemed to be recalled to reality with the order.

"I'm sorry…I didn't tell…you before…Sir. Y…yes. I was...attacked and they…they injected something…into my neck. It…was horrible…horrible. Help…me…he…" the boy began to rant as he grabbed Leon's hand tighter. The senior agent's heart fell at the presented information. **'I don't understand. If this is what they did to me, then why haven't I done this yet? What if…stay calm, Leon. Panic only makes things fall apart.'**

"Skyler, I'm sorry that I didn't get to work with you more. People like you are braver than anyone will ever know and should be more appreciated than you ever will be. " Leon said as he undecidedly pulled out his handgun. Never had he been asked to kill a fellow agent. The young man stared up at the agent with grateful eyes; Eyes of anticipation that reflected pain and fear but also the knowledge of release.

"Th…thank you…Agent Kennedy, Sir." Leon pulled the trigger without thought; without effort. The mechanics were the same as shooting any other but the reality was limited. The sound rang hollow throughout the basement and then all was quiet. There was no more whining, no more screaming, only silence.

"Is everyone all right now?" the senior agent asked as he rejoined the others and surfaced from the massive depths. Mike stared at his friend but received no answer to his inquiry. Ashley said nothing but only stared at the man and remained huddled in the corner. Leon slowly walked over to her and held out his hand invitingly. As the senior agent hoisted the girl off the dirty, grimy floor, the flash of crimson caught his eye. A large trail of blood stained a pattern on the pumpkin orange shirt. "When did that happen?"

"Y…you did it. When you came crashing through the stairs. Your knife caught under my shirt. It's not that bad, really. It doesn't even hurt." Ashley said quietly as she brushed her shirt as if to try and wipe away the blood.

"It doesn't hurt because you're in shock. You're losing blood. Lay down." Leon said as he placed his pack on the ground and pulled out a rag and first aid spray. Ashley, perplexed and disconcerted, placed herself on her back. As Leon began to roll up her shirt, she blushed a robust scarlet and reached to stop his fluid hands. "Don't worry. I won't expose any more of you than I have to." the agent said softly as he continued to unravel her blouse. Leon stared at the soft skin for what, to him, was an eternity. Her beautiful, pale tan skin, soft to the touch and unblemished. A perfect belly button that accented her perfectly shaped hips. Then, as his eyes registered the sizeable gash just below her bra, the guilty pang hit him. Swiftly wiping the dirt and grime from the wound, he readied the first aid spray. "This is going to sting." Leon squirted the first spray lightly and waited. As the effects took place, Ashley screamed, arching her back forwards and grabbing Leon's left arm for support. The agent felt the nails enter through the gash in his jacket and dig into his former injury, causing him to grit back a moan. When he sprayed the next layer, the puss began to form over the wound, ensuring that no more was needed. Ashley began to pant as the next wave of healing began. The fact that her nails were piercing his injury was the only thing that kept Leon from being turned on by the panting sounds that the girl was making. When the hard shell finally formed, it all stopped, leaving the three in silence again.

"Now that everyone's all right and ya guys are done having your orgy, we should probably move." Mike said as he helped Ashley off the ground and Leon satiated his pack, making his way to the door. When the three were greeted by the chilly night air, no one spoke for awhile. Everything had to register; including the fact that they were still alive.

"Leon, wait" Ashley said timidly as she approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take this. I have a feeling it'll be useful." Ashley said as she handed what appeared to be an eyeball over to the senior agent.

"What the…"

"When we were in the graveyard…the villagers were yelling things all over, remember? One of the things they said was 'don't let them catch the chief's eye.' Look at it. It has intricate patterns in the iris; a normal false eye doesn't look like this." the girl said in a 'matter of fact' tone as she handed it to Leon.

"Let me get ya straight. Ya think this is some kinda key? This place is starting to remind me of 'The Silence of the Lambs', man. Guard your livers everybody." Mike said as he took the eye and examined it. "Yo, Leon, I think she's actually right."

"We'll find out, won't we?" the senior agent said flatly as he began to walk towards a large gate to the left. Ashley and Mike shared a worried glance as they pressed on through the torpid, unyielding night air. Dismissing their concern for Leon's mood swing as simply stress over having to kill Skyler, the two followed without hesitation, trusting the senior agent's judgment.

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"Come on, Mike! Come on!" Leon yelled as he readied himself to slam the gate after his companion. Ashley stood ready and attentive at the left side, awaiting orders from the edgy agent. As Mike lobbed one last flash grenade, he darted for the door as quickly as his legs would carry him. "Now!" the senior agent yelled as Mike ran past in a blur and the two gates were provoked to shut. Leon spitefully placed the wooden bar into the two door shafts, entreating that the barricade would hold the chainsaw maniacs on the other side. The very mention of the weapon made him shudder, let alone two psychotic, chainsaw wielding sisters.

"We gotta get out of here, Leon. I'm gonna get gray hair from these psychopaths." Mike said as he put his hands on his knees and breathed in the cool, crisp air.

"You're going to give me gray hair if you don't learn how to run anytime soon." Leon said as he leaned on the door to the supposed camp that they had just traversed.

"Look. There's a gate over there. Maybe we should go through that one without thinking. Maybe this time we'll actually avoid near death." Ashley said in exhaustion as she tried to steady her breath. The last two hours had been a boundless, insatiable hell. Creeping through decrepit Ganados camps, hiding in fetid dumpsters, and listening to Leon and Mike screaming at each other as they tried to safeguard their lives from the automatons of Saddler didn't shape the perfect day. Patience and composure seemed to be remnants of the American society that was neither within reach nor germane in this antediluvian territory.

"That's exactly what we're going to do." the senior agent said with a goaded tone as he double checked the image that the GPS was sending. "According to Mike's god-like technology, this is the one and only way out of this hell-hole."

"And that would be to where? The Bordello from the gangland?" Mike asked as he tried to make sense of the picture that his companion was waving in his face and he made his way to yet another unsavory exit.

"That would be the least injurious thing that could happen to us at this point." Leon said as he pulled out the glass false eye and tentatively placed it in front of the circular outcrop in the entryway. The three stood in soundless anticipation as the tiny beeps and droning began to unwind the inner mechanisms of the intricate lock system. As the buzzing continued, Leon tossed the uncanny false eyeball into the roughage lining the path. When the ungainly gateways sighed in protest, the senior agent pushed with an ardor of hope that there was some healthier route lingering on the other side. All that greeted the agent was the same brown earth; the same gray sky; and the same dead, desolate path that wound in a sinuous pattern to nowhere. Then, the beacon of warm light hurdled into his vision. A fortress; a castle; some kind of respite from the perplexity of continuous fighting.

"I don't know, Leon. What if there are more of them in there?" Ashley asked undecidedly as she wrapped herself around the agent's right arm. As if inciting the woman to confide in her protector, a loud clap of thunder signaled the first dribbles of fresh rain.

"Ya can count on that, sweetheart." Mike said with a laugh as the rain developed into steadier and colder pulses by the second. "Let's hurry before we all get drenched." Huddling closer together, the party made their way up the lonely path in search of a place to rest. There was still nothing. No noises jumped out at them, no pitchforks were flying; it was completely silent and isolated. Leon sensed the unbalance in tranquility and drew his handgun. Mike neither questioned nor argued his companion's instinct and followed suit.

"Ahie esta! Un para sero!" the familiar, nerve-racking cries shattered the silent path and only slightly shocked the keen agents. Leon took Ashley's hand as Mike began to sprint up the path. The looming arch of the castle wall dwarfed the significant drawbridge that the company's feet pattered upon. Once inside the outer courtyard, Mike and Leon took both of the turnstiles on either side of the bridge and began to frantically rotate. Every muscle in their bodies strained at the sheer weight of the bridge they were lifting. Ashley stood back, watching as the very blood veins of her protectors seemed to pulse with the adrenaline in her body. They were all equal here; all frightened. The adrenaline made them similar and unnaturally stronger than before. This was sheer terror. It wasn't war because war was at least calculated. No, this was simply survival of the fittest according to Charles Darwin. Their very heartbeats beat in a similar rhythm, creating a unity that only they would ever share. As the last of the outer torch light was extinguished, the only sound audible was the panting of the two men.

"Well, I guess we've bought some down time" Mike said as he pointed to a tiny house to the right. It was somehow charming now that fatigue was taking its toll on all three bodies. The small cabin wasn't much to speak of but it was at least more hospitable than the tumult outside.

"Home sweet home." Leon said monotonously as he registered the decomposing boards, ramshackle roof, and basic, earthen floor. Never had they all dreamt that something so primal would be so welcoming. The two agents placed their packs on the feeble counter inside as Ashley closed the door behind them. The awkward silence only added to the lethargic, sullen air. "You guys should get some rest. I'm going to go outside and call Hunnigan before she has her druthers and fires us."

"Is there anywhere that I can rinse out my clothes?" Ashley asked as she tried not to sound too imposing to the silence..

"There's a water barrel over in the corner." Mike said hopefully.

"I can't do that with you guys in here." the woman said in an offended tone.

"He won't look; Mike's engaged. Besides, did you want to haul that thing? I'm going outside now." the senior agent said as he began to crack open the door..

"Hey, Leon. Don't you want to shave first? I mean, you're looking kinda scruffy, man. You've had a rough day. Don't ya at least want a clean face? I've got a razor and even a _mirror _here." Mike said quietly as he flashed the enticing objects and passed a glance at Ashley who, now examining the sullied water barrel, was oblivious to the middle-ranked agent's intentions.

"You guys had better not look. If you do, I'll make sure that you sleep outside with the water…all over your clothes." the young woman said in a treacherous tone with a long, hard stare at the two.

"All right, Mr. Affianced. I'll bite but, after this, I do actually have to do my job." Leon said with a smirk as he angled the mirror to focus on the left hand corner of the cabin. Mike huddled close to his friend as he took the razor and began to pretend shaving. The two men goggled as the President's daughter began to undress. After removing her boots, she slowly, enticingly removed her fragile skirt, revealing her picturesque thighs and soft skin. After the skirt had finally dropped and she had daintily stepped over it, her incisive, dexterous hands wandered into the northern territory. Both men gawked as the orange blouse hit the floor with a stunning calm. There she was; the President's daughter in her sexy, thin, black lacy underwear and bra. Her frame was virtually perfect. Neither anorexic, nor overweight, Ashley embodied the gorgeous pinups of the forties and fifties. Her voluptuous hips, slender waist, pale tan skin, and large, round breasts made the lacy, silk underwear a thing of unattractive child's play. As she bent down to pick up her articles of clothing, both men turned their heads to receive a better prospect of her curved, tempting ass. As she plunged the clothing in and out of the clear, cool water, some of it began to trickle down her arms, past her elbows and between her breasts. She was important, sexy, soaked, and single. The agent's were in heaven.

"Horny yet?" Mike whispered as he registered the look on his friends face. Leon stared a little longer before he chose to return to reality and reply.

"Before this, I was in Baghdad for months. What do you think? She…give me the razor you bastard, I still have a job to finish." the senior agent said as he commandeered the blade and returned focus to his duties. Mike bent over and leaned his head towards Leon's crotch. "Can I help you?"

"Looks like someone's a little attentive down there." Mike said in a devilish tone as he nudged the agent in the shoulder.

"You want me to get in trouble don't you?" the senior agent asked as he relinquished the razor and walked out the door. Mike only stared at the door with a grin and re-positioned the mirror.

As Leon hung up the communicator, the customary, nauseating symptoms consumed his every sense. His chest seared with a blinding pain, his wounds began to split at their seams, and the bruises deepened. Reduced to his knees, the agent clawed at his chest and head, trying to make the pain stop. The agent began to retch as the familiar metallic taint filled his mouth and nose. The world spun in a carousel of colors and perceptions. **'You bastard, what the hell have you given me? It's your fault Skyler died. Why don't you stop being a coward and face me like a man instead of controlling me like some kind of slave?' **

"My darling pet, you still continue to fight me? What a pity. It will only be more painful for you. As for your questions…you'll find that it does exactly as you figured. You will become a victim of the parasitic being that will hatch in both you and Ashley but you won't expire like your little friend. We gave you a different breed. A more _useful_ breed; you will become my slave. But, I'm afraid that you will never know how _pleasing_ of a slave you can be." the cynical, hissing voice harassed the agent's thoughts.

'**You leave Ashley out of this.' **the agent thought back, infuriated. Every time he tried to stand, the pain increased sevenfold, driving the agent back to the ground in a torrent of pain and confusion.

"I'm afraid that it's too late…my dear. You see, you will be my slave while Ashley will be my ambassador to the United States. There is nothing you can do to fight it. By the way, what makes you think that you're important enough that I would have to deal with you myself?"

"Because, if you don't, I'll kill you myself, bastard!" Leon screamed to the night air as all of the frustration from the mission exploded in one moment. A fresh wave of nausea caused the agent to collapse on the cold dirt. Gagging furiously, the agent raised his jacket sleeve to try and stop what was coming. When he vomited, nothing came, only more of the putrid life liquid. Nothing was left in his bowels to spew.

"We'll see, my dear. We'll see if you still have enough sense for that by the time I'm done with you." As quickly as the attack had come; it left. Leon laid on the floor for awhile, listening to the cool wind and the humming cicadas. All was quiet, painless. It was as if the agent had never been disturbed by the news he had just received. Was there really no way to stop these attacks? If Ashley was involved, what would that mean? The agent's thoughts raced through his cranial tissues as the thought of defeat became a flawed concept. He wouldn't let Ashley or himself fall to this perverse power.

When the senior agent re-entered their temporary refuge, the oil lamp on the counter was out, Mike was snoring by the window in the moonlight and Ashley was huddled under his blanket in the left corner. Wrapping his coat tighter around his shoulders, the agent sat down in the right hand corner and leaned his head back on the wall.

"What did Hunnigan say, Leon?" the soothing, feminine voice crept out of the comforting darkness.

"She said that we have to wait for another three days before the United States will even consider another helicopter. So, we won't be rescued until… about the twenty-fourth. Until then, we have to keep moving so that we can stay alive." Leon said with a sigh as he began to rub his temples in exhaustion.

"Leon, can I ask you about your past?" Ashley asked tentatively.

"What do you want to know?" Leon asked with almost indifference.

"Your past…I…mean…was it hard to kill Skyler or did being in the army at seventeen make it easier?" the woman asked as she tried to index the expression on the agent's face.

"Mike told you about that? You probably think I'm dense because I didn't go to college." the senior agent said as he laughed lightly. "Well, I took advanced courses in high school and I skipped my ninth grade year so, I graduated a year early. The problem was, my family didn't have the money to send me to any college but the New York community college and my Mother needed an operation to save her life. When I saw an add that the army needed young, sixteen to eighteen year old boys for an unauthorized operation, I enlisted because I would be paid enough to pay for my mother's operation. I didn't expect to come back alive but I did; the others weren't so lucky. I was recognized by the government after I became a cop and the Raccoon City incident put their attention on me. I then began agent training and quickly rose to the best in the world. Is that what you wanted to know?"

"Well actually, I wanted to know more of the personal things like the man you had to amputate or your mother. What happened to her? Or the men in your division; what happened to them and why do you feel guilty?" Ashley pressed , hoping to pry more of what she wanted to know from him.

"Some things people are meant to keep with them until they die. Can I ask you something?" the agent asked hurriedly, trying to redirect the conversation.

"Yeah but…well then, what about our situation now?" the woman asked as she scooted closer to the agent in the dark.

"We'll be fine. I won't let anything happen to either one of you." there was an awkward pause at this statement. "In the cellar, you said something about 'him' leaving you. What was that about?"

"Shane. He's…was my boyfriend. We'd been together in an…active relationship for over two years. I was walking to lunch with him when a big man with blonde hair came and talked to us. When he grabbed me, he knocked Shane down and ran. After that… Shane didn't do anything. He… he didn't… even try to get up. He just…he just sat there." the young woman said as she tried to fight back the tears that were welling in her eyes.

"I'm sure he was just in shock. I mean, how much could he have done?" the senior agent replied as he shifted against the wall, growing uncomfortable at the intimacy.

"If you supposedly loved someone and they were abducted, would you just sit on the ground? I know you're an agent but…if you…loved them, Leon. What would you do?" Ashley pleaded as she placed her hand on the agent's. When Leon gave no reply, she grew concerned at his reaction, considering that she couldn't see the expression on his face. "I'm sorry; don't bother with my stupid…"

"If I had told someone that I loved them and I had had the luxury of being with them that long, I would have chased after them and at least tried to beat the shit out of the guy." the agent said as he patted Ashley's hand with his other. After a few brief seconds, the agent grew anxious and retracted his hands.

"Are you tense?" the girl asked as Leon shifted again. The agent only nodded and mumbled a reply. "Can I help? My mother taught me." Ashley said as placed a hand on he agent's right shoulder. Leon wearily yielded to the idea of a massage and turned his back to the woman. Her soft, strong hands clasped his muscle tissues and gently relaxed the tense fibers. The gentle, rocking motions caused Leon to issue nearly inaudible moans as the tension virtually melted away. Her hands moved down farther and farther as the agent capitulated to the pleasing sensations, depending more and more on the woman to hold him up. As Ashley felt him lean farther, she reached her right hand towards the front. "Are you _tense_ anywhere else, Leon?" she said seductively as she placed her hand on his upper thigh. The agent jerked away from her grasp, his heart racing faster than any of the Ganados could have made it.

"Ashley, I'm sorry if I misled you but I can't do this. I could lose my entire career. I can't endanger the mission, I can't endanger you or myself or Mike." Leon said quietly as he repositioned himself against the wall.

"But…you're attracted to me aren't you? If we weren't on a mission, you'd consider it, wouldn't you?" Ashley asked as she drew the blanket around herself and crawled against the barrel again. Leon gave no reply and only tossed a communicator and flashlight over to the woman.

"You'll need those." he said as he finally laid down on the ground to rest. Unknown to Ashley, he was harder than he had been in months and desired her more than ever. Those feeling would never be satisfied; they could never be satisfied. Unknown to Leon, Ashley sat in the corner, wrapped under the warmth of his blanket, knowing that the agent was attracted to her. She simply smiled to herself in the dark. He would fold. There was an attraction that they shared; she knew it was there and so did he. Eventually, she would get him to surrender his duty and do what they both wanted to happen. Attraction was always a symptom of Romance whose power went under appreciated.

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End of chapter! Yay! It's a little slow because I did a lot of character work and not a lot of description but I promise that the next one will move faster! I know about Leon's age thing but, because he's the top agent in the world, I felt that he needed to be older than 23 and, in order to back up my character in him, I'm kind of creating his history. Sorry if I'm wrong about anything but the first Resident Evil I discovered was four so, that's about all I know. Sorry if I make anyone mad with what I'm doing with the characters but I have to at this point to make my plot work. I didn't have as much action in this chapter but I did kick up the romance so, I hope everyone enjoyed it.


	8. Chapter 7: Sacrificial Lamb

WARNING: In future chapters, there will be lemons and more limes (although I don't know how shocking yet!) I know you're not supposed to but, I figured if I cleared it with you all, no one's going to rat on me right? Of course not. I love you all! SO, here's your warning; if it offends you, don't read it okay? There. I just had to do it so that no one can say that I didn't warn you!

Before I start replying to reviews, my family and I are going to Greece and Italy for a month on a cruise (and I'm now single and there's no drinking age over there; I'll let you all do the math) so, I doubt that I'll be getting any work done, well, as far as writing or AP Bio. work goes. We're leaving on July 4th so, I'll try but it'll be hard to pump out another chapter before then. For you all though, I will put forth my best effort. Now, I will answer everyone's reviews because I figured, if you take the time to review it, I have the time to answer you! Oh wait…I have a question for everyone and yes I really want an answer. Has everyone seen "What Lies Beneath" with Harrison Ford and Michele Pfifer? Because I just saw that movie last night; I don't scare easily and that movie scared the shit out of me (along with The Ring). Anyways, random moment over, on to the reviews!

LinkIsaacANDLloyd: Ummm…I think that you read a little too much with your imagination. Ashley didn't give Leon a hand job. If she had, I would have been much more explicit than that. She was going to touch Leon but he pulled away before anything could go anywhere near that direction and I wouldn't skip to a full-blown hand job so early. Yes she has white underwear in the game but who the hell doesn't wear sexy underwear when they wear a short skirt? The fact that she's in an 'active' relationship with someone else in this fic dispels the innocence factor that the white panties give so, I just changed it. I thought the guys would like it better. Lol. People cared about Skyler's death. They just didn't want to talk about it with Ashley there and send her into a panic. Don't worry, it won't go unnoticed. Anyways, I'm glad that you liked it and I'm glad that you actually gave me input.

Rpgfan04: Ah yes, it's always the engaged guys you have to look out for. Lol. I'm glad that you like Mike. I work hard on his character. I'm glad that you think my story is great; you're too kind. Also, I'm so happy that I'm not the only one who doesn't know the history. Lol. Here's your next chapter.

Loaned: Lol. I like your motto. I'm glad you like the characters. I was afraid that I might have broken them because I hadn't updated in months. Anyways, I'll try to check out the novels when I have time but I don't know if I can work my plot in with the history. So, thanks for the advice but please don't be mad if I don't change it. Lol. Enjoy!

Snow Puff: YES! I missed you! My relationship was actually really good. It lasted about eight months and then it went to Hell. Oh well. I had the best birthday of my life this year. We saw Rent in December and it finished at like one o'clock in the morning in Orlando when we went up there to visit and then we screwed around until about three o'clock in the morning. It was awesome. Anyways, good things never last. I liked Skyler too! He was my creation but, he had to die. It was definitely good that he died early though; you're right about that. Shane is a pansy but I do kind of agree with you. Leon hasn't fallen for Ashley yet. I may decide not to pair them. You never know. Lol. I'm glad that you're glad that I'm back. Enjoy!

DarkAngelAssassin666: Yes they are in the castle FINALLY! Lol. When you say 'moniter things', do you mean the things without eyes and the claws that cut Leon's head off? If so, you should find a corner far away from it, use your rifle and shoot it from a distance. Oh, and use the bells as much as you can. If you don't have a rifle (like me the first time I played through the game, I don't know how I did it but I never bought one) you should wait until it gets itself stuck in a wall and then shoot it with the shotgun. Or a magnum (whatever has the highest firepower). Anyways, I hope that you enjoy the next chapter!

Linda Nenidia: I'm so glad that you like it. It has been a long time and I apologize again for that but please enjoy it!

Now, one more thing before I start everyone groans I HAVE NO INTENTION OF EVER DROPPING THIS STORY UNTIL IT'S FINISHED. Lol. Enjoy everyone!

"speech

Underlined words thinking aloud (Mumbling)

'Bold letters' thinking to self (Leon)

'Bold letters italicized'thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter 7: Sacrificial Lamb

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Through the shadows in the cabin she could see him. The pale moon rays cast their ghost upon his face, adding a morbid calm to his peaceful demeanor. Silently she crept into the feeble building, causing the porous window sill to crackle and flake. Ada froze in her tracks, remembering full well how lightly Leon slept. Her heart abandoned a beat as he shifted against the wall and uttered a diminutive groan at the lack of pleasure in his sleeping position. As Leon finished reallocating and began breathing heavily again, the female agent continued her advance. She moved towards him as liquid did over stone. Her crimson dress flowed behind her silently as the beat of her high heels was muffled by the earthen floor. Leon, you really are good-looking and so… sincere. Even if I'm not with you anymore; I can't kill you like he wants me to. I love him but I can't kill you for him. That's not what I want. I want… Ada mumbled into the still dimness as she leaned over him, towards the agent's sleeping visage. She stared at the all too familiar lips and remembered a more gratifying time. She recalled the skill of the organs that had ravaged every orifice of her body…on every surface of his apartment in Washington. She stared at his beautiful features and remembered the nights in his bed, where she would just watch him as he slept. As Ada leaned forward to claim his lips once again, a noise caught her attention.

"Hey, girlie. You're good. I was sleeping right under the window and ya didn't wake me up…until ya started talking to your self that is. But, to your dismay, if ya don't get away from my pal, I'm afraid I'll have to wake everyone up in a rather, speedy fashion." Mike said as he donned his TMP and stepped forward. The female agent silently raised her arms and backed away from the still latent, senior agent. "Now, is there a reason that ya want to put him through hell again or should I just kill ya?"

"I actually came to warn him, Mike. I…"

"Like hell ya did, bitch! Ya stabbed him in the back once, convince me that ya aren't gonna do it again." the middle-ranked agent said in a brusque whisper as he confiscated her handgun and radio. Ada turned around slowly and began to whisper in Mike's ear. Seductively she moved her hands, trying to spin him in her web of treachery and mystification. The middle-ranked agent was lost in a moment of splendor that had been absent from this bizarre end of the world. Unknown to Mike, as she gave him vital information regarding his friend, she was reaching behind his belt to retrieve her handgun and radio. Mike felt an icy pang hit his stomach as the female agent finished conveying her role in the unfurling, warped game of chest and pulled her handgun on him.

"See you around, handsome. You'll tell Leon for me, won't you?" As quickly as she had finished her sentence, she was gone. She had catapulted out of the window with her hook shot and vanished from sight in an instant. Just like trying to hold sand in cupped hands. Mike stood and stared for awhile, only slightly more disturbed than he had been before. The middle-ranked agent walked over to his companion and sat down, contemplating how best to break the news. Mike shook the senior agent lightly and used more than enough force to stir the agent from his forty winks. Leon simply slapped his hand away and rolled over, attempting to ignore his friends shoving.

"Yo, Leon. Ya need to wake up, man. There's something ya really should know." Mike said as he pulled his flashlight and began to shine it directly in the senior agent's face. Leon simply groaned and grabbed the flashlight, diverting its rays from his eyes.

"What is it, Mike? I've had a hell of a day and I don't want it to be the twenty-first yet." Leon said as he sat straight up and wrapped his jacket tighter, trying to block the icy night air that perforated every fracture in the ancient wood.

"Well, you're a little late for that, pal. It's officially three-thirty in the morning on the twenty-first of December. But…I have to tell ya something, Leon. We're not the only agency here. Wesker's people are after Saddler for some reason and they think that you and I are working with him." Mike said as he pulled out a red sash from his pocket.

"That's…Ada's. She's working with Wesker? Why would they think that we're working with Saddler?" Leon said in a state of perplexity as he took the silky red article of clothing away from his companion. The sweet perfume stood out from the morose, crushing odor of blood, viscera, and death that surrounded them. Memories flooded through the agent's head as the sensation of lust returned to his body.

"They said something about a 'sample' and that you're one of his 'servants' or something. I dunno. The only thing I know for sure is that Wesker wants ya dead and he sent your ex-girlfriend to do it." Mike said quietly as he waited for a reaction. The senior agent said nothing as his brain computed the intricate game. "I know because she was here. While ya were sleeping. She told me herself."

"She won't kill me, Mike. Even though she is screwing Wesker and she's not the most honest woman in the world; we have a deal. I helped her and saved her life years ago. She'll return the favor, even if our relationship ended in less than pristine condition. She can't kill me and she won't let me die if she can help it." the senior agent mumbled as he ran his head through the tactical game of chess and alliances.

"Say that ya _can_ trust Ada; what's this shit about the 'sample' and 'servants'. Sounds like a bunch of bad S&M from porno mags. And…how are ya _sure_ that ya can trust Ada? I mean, she did cheat on ya with a guy that's at least, no at the _very _least twenty years older than ya." Mike said as he stared directly into Leon's eyes.

"She did cheat on me with Wesker but that doesn't mean that she wants me to die. I don't know what they're talking about with a 'sample'." Leon said as he broke eye contact and stared at the ceiling. **'I'm not sure, Mike but I don't have much else I can do but hope that she has that kind of honor. I can't even trust myself anymore because I have some kind of damned parasite that they injected into my body. That's why there's something in my chest that moves all the time. I'm gonna turn into a zombie to Saddler unless I do something and so is Ashley. That's why she's here. They need an inside link to the Whitehouse.' **Leon stared at the ceiling for a long time, trying to find any kind of way out of their predicament. Everything was building up at once and there was no escape that he could distinguish. Every medical plan of removing the parasites started with the fact that they were in the United States. Until then, there was nothing either Ashley or he could do to stop the transformation.

"Hey, Leon are ya all right? Ya don't look so good. Wait a minute… ya know something that you're not telling me don't ya?" the middle-ranked agent inquired as he recognized the familiar look of distress in Leon's eyebrows. Leon gave no answer but an irritated glare. "Hey. I've been your friend for over four years, lived next to you for at least three, and I went through 'masking your physical giveaways of emotions' class with ya. I know that you're upset because your eyebrows do that twitch thing. Ya never mastered that, man." The senior agent finally folded to Mike's concerns. Every agent was assigned a counselor and scheduled for an appointment virtually after every mission because of the severity of their work but Leon had gone straight from one mission to another. Although Leon's coping skills were higher than average, the amount of stress would cause anyone to need to talk. Usually it was his and Mike's counselor, Dr. Sphincter, _after_ his missions but Mike would have to do for now.

"I lied, Mike. The sample they're talking about has to be some kind of parasitic egg that they use for experiments on people by injecting it into their blood stream. Both Ashley and I have been infected. Skyler…he was a carrier too; just a different breed. The egg, I assume, hatches a parasite that slowly grows inside until Saddler can control it. It's a form of symbiosis; parasitism, because it thrives inside and it's killing us. He can control Ashley and me if he is in the near vicinity to us because we're carriers. All of the villagers too. There's no way to heal ourselves that I know of and we're either going to die or become part of his drones." Leon said in a panicked voice, scaring himself even more by the second as he ran the scenario over and over in his head and drew the same conclusions.

"Shit, Leon. How could ya not tell me something that big? I'm…I don't know what to say. No wonder they all think we're in cahoots. Well, at least ya won't have to worry about Saddler killing ya." the middle-ranked agent said in a poor attempt to cheer up his companion. Mike opted that it would be wise to change the subject. Vexing over the problem when there was nothing to be done would only make things worse. "How ya holding up otherwise?"

"I'm not, Mike." Leon said as he began to fidget with every niche of his belt. "I had to kill an agent today with my own gun. A bright kid with a future. I even took his communicator and flashlight to give to Ashley. Was that right? Did you see how Ashley looked at me after that?"

"Leon, Skyler was a good kid, but no one's questioning your motive. If ya didn't kill him quickly, they would have tortured him. Ya did the right thing. Ashley knows that and I know that. It was just a little, ya know, rough. As for the equipment, we all know that he doesn't need it anymore."

"Then make me feel better for this one. While you were sleeping, Ashley started hitting on me and started asking questions about my past. Now, I wonder who got her on that trail? She asked me if it was easy to kill people. How do you answer that? Then, this one's good. Then, she started giving me a massage. It was amazing, I'll give her that but then she put her hand on my thigh." Leon paused in his rapid speech for air. "Mike, I can't do this. I haven't had sex in months and she made me so hard with just a massage. If I fall for her…I could get us all killed. If my judgment gets impaired by emotions, I…"

"Leon. Shut up. Ya sound like an idiot. Which…leads me to believe that it's too late to save ya." Mike said in a taunting manner, cutting off his friend in mid lecture.

"Save me from what?" the senior agent asked with a frustrated sigh at being interrupted.

"You're starting to get to know her and I think ya like it. The fact that she's important in political status, young, and one of the sexiest women we've ever seen, I'm sure has nothing to do with it but, ya know. My point, in fewer words; screw the mission when it comes to this. Let her know ya like her, of course, wait until the missions over to act on it seriously." Mike said as he punched Leon on the shoulder.

"That's…" there was a long pause as Leon contemplated Mike's advice. "one of the stupidest things you've ever told me to do. If I do that, the mission will screw itself over like an anti-gay activist in San Francisco. There are definitely more important things I need to worry about." the senior agent said as he pulled his jacket over his face and went back to his former position.

"Ya know I'm right. You're right about everything else, other than technology, but ya know I'm right on this one." Mike said lightheartedly as he retreated his attack and returned to the window. A few moments of painful silence engulfed the air in the tiny cabin. "Leon…in all seriousness; at this point, your emotions are gonna interfere either way." In the darkness, Leon smiled, trying to accept his friend's words as the truth. All Mike knew for his reply was a muffled 'feh'. Darkness was an agent's best friend, the way Mike saw it. He could let his worried expression manifest without ever letting Leon know. If his companion knew how worried he was, they'd both be lost in contemplation.

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The dwarfed man in colonial dress approached the throne in an august, tranquil manner. Although his stature might have played to a subservient drudge, he held his head as an egocentric, steadfast prince reporting to his king. The colonial male heals clopped on the stairs in his ascent as the sky gray pants and pale white knickers rustled through the empty hallways. As he approached the final stair, the man raised his head but remained bowed before his superior. Unsurely, he let his master perceive his pasty, pallid skin and stormy gray eyes. Pushing back a few, stray, white hairs into his elongated ponytail, he bowed again before addressing his senior.

"You called, Lord Saddler" the diminutive man asked as he bowed forwards, throwing back the gold coat tails of his blue jacket and tightening his frilled shirt.

"It is time for the…procession. My pet and my consort-to-be must be well taken care of before they can be…_useful_ to me." the sadistic, malevolent voice cooed from the dimly lit alcove that harbored his throne and two of his highest-ranked servants.

"My Lord, so soon? It seems a teeny bit early for the girl and meester Kennedy to be…"

"Silence, my darling Salazar. If you wish to _displease_ me, then I will simply have Krauser do it for me." Saddler said in an angered tone as he smashed his staff on the cold tile floor.

"It will be done, my Lord." Ramone acquiesced as he tried to fight the veins that so visually stood out when he was angry. With no further debate on the matter, the servant walked out the door and nearly slammed it behind him.

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Leon's eyes investigated the narrow, clammy passageway before him. The rank odor of human refuse and insect mettle drained his senses as he searched for any sign. They came out of nowhere in an instant. Their cloaked bodies were nearly imperceptible until they either attacked him or passed his direct line of vision, sending a crimped, translucent pattern across the otherwise cutting panorama. The squelching sound of his sneakers through the grimy fluid stood out like a painful prick to his ears as he rounded the crumbling corner. The discontinuous sewer lights cast a scarce luminosity over the uncanny, collapsing, sodden ground, ceiling, and walls. Leon pulled his flashlight out and flared it twice down the passage he had just come from. Two sets of footfalls cautiously negotiated the hallway until they caught up with the senior agent. Silently, Leon motioned for Ashley to linger at the bend and for Mike to trail him. Leon's heart shot into his throat as they navigated the hallway with little more than a vague perception of where they were going. The familiar scratching clamor of insect feelers on the peripheries made Leon and Mike freeze. Pumping his shotgun, Leon traced the pests tracks through the falling fragments of ceiling and sinuous, clear discrepancies in his vision. Then the movement ceased as the nuisance dropped to the floor and swayed back in forth, now fully visible to the agents.

"Come on, ya jerk!" Mike muttered as he readied his handgun. As if in reply to the agent's provocation, the massive insect threw its head back and opened its mouth wide. Leon and Mike only stood in question as they awaited its next move. Before they were ready, the creature let out a piercing wail. The harsh, screeching exclamation crippled the agents as they sunk to their knees and grasped their ears in agony. Ashley crawled towards them with only her knees as she tried to find refuge from the curdling shriek. Even her own scream was lost in the magnitude of the call. The howl seemed to continue for eons, with no signs of weakening. The senior agent felt Ashley's elbow knock into his back and cast his gaze on her quivering form. A new sense of anger filled the agent as he formulated a plan. Aiming the shotgun with his right hand, Leon rested his head on the shoulder of his jacket and took the shot. The echoing of the screech ceased as the animal writhed on the floor. The three removed their hands and pulled themselves from the waterlogged base in a state of shock.

"W…what the hell was that?" Ashley asked as she grabbed Leon's right forearm and peered at the viscous remains of the insect from behind his back.

"Let's hope it was just a loud-mouthed bug. Let's hurry. Others might have heard that." Leon said as he gently pulled away from the woman's grasp and continued forwards. The company continued tentatively, still unable to hear properly. Mike and Leon held their guns tighter than ever because of the fact that they now had to strain their ears more to hear regularly. Then, Leon heard a scuffling on the dank floor. He waved to the other two to stop. Something wasn't right; that wasn't the sound of an insect, it was human feet. "Show yourself! NOW!" Leon yelled, losing all mildness as he did so.

"Hold up there, Stranger." a British-accented figure called softly as a robed figure emerged from around the other corner. There was something different about him. The robe he donned wasn't the same robe as the castle Ganados. Civilized speech also distinguished the man from the others. "just a humble trader here, Stranger."

"What the hell kinda business do ya run in a place like this? Hey, Leon. Remember the Bordello crack…" Mike asked as he held up his gun to aim.

"A very prosperous one actually. You see, Other Stranger, I was on my way to the village through these tunnels 'cause I have to avoid detection by Saddler. He doesn't approve." the man said as he pulled his cloak back from his face in order to make eye contact. His yellow eyes scanned the group, registering the two agents and lingering ever so fondly over Ashley's figure.

"That's not what we asked you." Leon said flatly as he lowered his shotgun. Something about the man made the agent feel that he could trust him. Being slightly more paranoid, Mike staid his weapon where it was.

"I sell weaponries, Stranger. I can also tune your weapons for you if you like." the merchant said as he unfolded his shabby black robe to reveal several models of guns and tuning implements. "For you Americans, it's cheap. Our money has no comparison."

"I've got some money here but it's not enough for any of that. How about you tune us up and sell us a couple of things in exchange for all my money and…a couple of U.S dollars. The exchange rate is around 2,000 pesetas to 1 dollar so, it's a good deal for you." Leon said as he examined the wares strapped to the coat and didn't even bother with asking how the man knew they were American. The senior agent assumed that it was fairly obvious to anyone nearby at this point. The merchant contemplated the deal and decided that the men would probably either kill him or reveal him if he didn't comply. Mike advanced on Leon, pulling him back by the collar. Ashley only watched as the middle-ranked agent pulled Leon off to the side into a hushed conversation. Ashley stood before the Merchant, completely disregarded by the agents.

"Hello, dear. I wonder, is there anything that _you're selling_?" the merchant asked with a chuckle. Ashley only stared in revulsion for a moment before storming over to the two agents and eavesdropping in their conversation. Ashley couldn't help but glare as she listened to Mike trying to convince Leon not to buy anything because of the legal attachments of unlicensed and unregistered weapons. The two agents continued to completely ignore Ashley as Leon prattled back with the fact that no one in their near vicinity would give a damn about the legal conditions of his weapons. Leaving Mike fuming in the corner, Leon approached the merchant and handed over his TMP, shotgun, and handgun.

"I need the handgun and the TMP tuned as best you can and I need that Striker you've got there to replace my 'Riot Gun'." Leon said as he exchanged the weapons. The merchant made faster work of custom tuning than anyone else Leon and Mike had ever seen. Although Mike refused to buy anything, he admired the skill that the merchant possessed in his hands. Ashley simply glowered and stood her distance in the corner. After only fifteen minutes, Leon shook the merchant's hand and re-strapped all of his weapons.

"If ya need anything else, look out for the rest of my family around, Stranger. Goodbye, dear." the merchant whispered to Ashley as the three headed off again. Ashley stuck closer than ever to Leon as they continued to traverse the hallway and the merchant headed off in the opposite direction. The sewer passageways seemed to wind around in treacherous circles forever when the company had failed to locate an entrance after another fifteen minutes. The dubious, saturated ground resonated their monotonous footsteps until they stumbled onto a new wrought-iron door that opened a new passageway. As they approached, Leon inadvertently perceived that there was no light being emitted from under the door.

"Wait here, Ashley. This might be a trap. There aren't any lights on in the next room." the senior agent said as he placed one hand on the door knob and held up his handgun with the other. Mike, following his friend's lead, turned on his flashlight and held his standard-issue handgun in the other. Rushing the metal, the door released and the two agents dashed into the space with astounding speed and remarkable furtiveness. The room was old; dusty and cramped with random furnishings. Broken chairs and desks lay scattered, along with whole armoirs and grand dining tables. After thoroughly scrutinizing the storage room, Mike waved Ashley in.

"Leon, I don't like the feeling of this." the woman said as she held the back of the agent's shirt and slowly proceeded behind her two protectors. **_'Something's not right. I can feel it. Leon, Mike, please know what you're doing.' _**

'**Couldn't have said it better myself.' **Leon thought as they continued to creep through the room. Then, he could hear it but there was no time to react. A bullet went whizzing past, clipping his right jacket sleeve and striking Mike's flashlight dead on. The light vanished in a crack and a crash as they were left in darkness. Total chaos. Ashley screamed, Mike shouted in pain as chips of plastic pierced his skin. Leon could feel his heart pounding in his throat as a cold sweat sent shivers down his spine. **'How can I shoot at someone I can't see?' **Leon knelt, pulling Ashley down with him and firing blindly at their adversaries. Mike knelt and rolled behind Ashley, just in case they rushed them from behind. Bullets soon began fracturing the stone floor around them. Knowing that they were now literally sitting ducks, Leon took Ashley by the arm and threw her over to the right wall.

"Mike! Block her!" Leon said as he shoved his companion to her side. Leon stood swiftly and began his advance. Something about the guns didn't sound right. They didn't fire conventional bullets.

"Really, now. Meester Scott Kennedy. Can you honestly do no better?" the high-pitched voice squealed in delight as he watched the agent struggle. Leon said nothing but only shot more bullets in a desperate attempt to save Mike and Ashley. Then; pain. The feeling shot through his body as he felt something pierce his neck with the harsh simplicity of agony. Mike and Ashley could only listen to the darkness as the firing ceased. Ashley gasped as she heard Leon groan in torment and Mike only tightened his grip on her. Leon reached up towards his neck and felt the blood oozing down in a brisk gush. The world spun around him in a whirlwind of noises and fog. The agent lost consciousness before he ever felt the frigid, unyielding, stone floor. "Good shot, Domingo. Turn on the lights for our friends." As they shielded their eyes, Mike and Ashley tried to hide behind the debris in front of them. Mike could discern two, large guards in robes and, what appeared to be a child before him. As her eyes adjusted to the light, Ashley registered the fact that Leon was face down in the center of the room, surrounded by blood.

"Leon! No God! Please!" the woman screamed as she tried to break away from Mike's grasp. Mike blocked her advancement by tightening his grip but could only stare at his friend, prostrate on the ground. Tears of rage began to well up in his eyes as he readied his TMP and stood. Resolutely lifting his TMP, Mike open-fired. Before ten bullets had gotten out, he too hit the ground. Ashley began to scream in hysterics as she watched her second protector fall in a whir of blood. **_'This can't be happening to me! Leon, please get up! This isn't funny!' _**Ashley thought frantically as tears streamed down her face.

"Now, my dear. Do not worry your pretty-little head. Your friends aren't dead. They're just taking a little…siesta. I'm afraid the master has bigger things planned for you three. Especially you and Meester Kennedy." Salazar said with a cruel laugh as the two guards hastened to retrieve the woman. Ashley shrieked and tried to kick them. Again, before Ashley knew what was happening, she too hit the floor; sans awareness. "Take them to the ritual chamber, Domingo, Gomez." Salazar said as his screeching laugh reverberated through the clustered chambers.

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'**What the hell? Am I…dead?' **Leon thought as he reached in the direction of his neck. Every muscle ached with a dull throb, accented by shooting pains in his collar bone. His perplexed senses could barely distinguish the problem. His hand wasn't on his neck; something was restricting his movement. Fervently trying to open his eyes, the agent began to calm his racing mind. As peace returned, he could faintly hear the rattling of chains. The air was warm and oppressive but the surface he was lying on was cool and level. Someone was trying to talk to him but the noises all sounded the same. As his eyes finally focused, Leon realized that he was chained to a granite slab, stripped of his weapons, shoes, socks, gloves, jacket and shirt. Sweeping his eyes across the room, Leon noticed the two Spanish cops kneeling, apparently comatose in front of his table, Mike on a similar table to his left and Ashley on the table to his right. The chamber was massive and dimly lit by two torches on either side of the altar. There was a gated door in front of them and, he assumed, one behind them. He was shaking all over; sweat dripping down his face and chest. The familiar squirm in his torso was returning; Saddler was close.

"L…Leon? Are you awake?" Ashley's drained voice asked in a squeak. The senior agent looked slowly over to his right. Not having the strength to lift his head, the agent could barely discern the familiar orange blouse and green plaid skirt over his bicep.

"Are you hurt?" Leon asked gently. His own voice sounded alien to his ears. His throat was dry and cracking, begging for hydration. "Mike, what about you?" His companion only gave a groan and tried to move from his restraints.

"I…I thought you were dead." Ashley said as tiny sobs tried to escape her restraints. A few hiccups carried across the hard floors, followed by a gasp for air. **'Why me? Why can't she not cry, just once?' **The senior agent thought as he tried to roll onto his side to look at the woman.

"I'm not going to say that there's nothing to cry about but you shouldn't be crying for me or Mike. We're fine. Isn't that right, Mike?" Leon said as he gave up trying to flip over and laid on his back. Mike only tried to shake his hand yes, failing miserably. Leon scanned his friend and determined that he was physically fine, choosing to dismiss his silence as fatigue or shock.

"My darling pets are concerned for each other. How…touching. Too bad you won't serve me like that. Ah, wait. I forgot; yes you will." Saddler cooed as the gate lifted and he began to virtually float towards Leon's table.

"Saddler! Leave them out of this. You can do what you want with me but leave Ashley and Mike out of your sordid fantasies." the senior agent snapped as he tried to sit up.

"Well now, my pet. If that's what you say…your _value_ just rose. But, I'm afraid that I can't give you what you long for. You see, I have a four-step ritual in which you two will be granted immense power. First; the blood of the Servants, then the blood of the Pawn, followed by the blood of the Queen, and lastly, the blood of the Guardian. It will give you power that would _please_ me very much." the leader stated in what he thought was a seductive tone as he brushed Leon's cheek with his clawed hands. The agent tried to writhe away from the unwanted contact but couldn't escape. "Stop squirming. You should save that for _later_." Leon felt the familiar paralysis consume his body. He was helpless; trapped as Saddler hovered over his mouth. Ashley and Mike could only stare in shock as the dictator claimed Leon's lips as his own. Leon clenched his eyes shut as Saddler's tongue swam around inside his mouth. The parasite stirred in his chest again, wanting more and causing Leon's body to arch forward. Saddler moved his hands down from Leon's face to his chest, stroking his nipples, instigating a moan from the agent. **'I want more. I want…what the fuck! This thing is messing with my head! I don't want this Please God, stop it…oooh.' **

Master…please. the agent moaned as Saddler's hands moved farther down, tracing the rim of his pants.

"Stay away from him you crazy bastard!" Mike and Ashley screamed in unison as they finally found their voices and protested. Leon returned to his senses and shouted, realizing once again that he lay powerless under a lunatic.

"Looks like we'll have to continue this later as well. Save your _screams_ until then. Guards!" Saddler shouted as two robbed figures virtually materialized through the doorway holding a large, black obsidian bowl and black obsidian knife. The leader took the instruments and set his sights on the cops. "First, the servants." Saddler said as he took the first cop's hair in his hand and pulled his head upwards. The man gave no signs of awareness or consciousness as the maniac proceeded to slit his throat. As the blood drained down, Saddler caught a generous quantity in the bowl and let the body drop. Ashley shrieked, Mike gasped, and Leon simply stared, questioning if it was all real. With hardly a second's hesitation, he proceeded to execute the same stunt with the second cop. "Now, the Pawn." He made his way towards Mike's slab with the knife at the ready. The two robed figures followed, one holding Mike's head to the right and the other placing the bowl on the table near his forehead. Saddler moved in with the knife, blocking Leon's view of his friend. The senior agent stared in horror as Mike's screams pierced the air and Saddler moved the knife in patterns; as if he were carving something. After only a few seconds, Mike stopped squirming and fell silent. "And…the Queen." the sociopath chortled as he moved to the other side of the altar.

"Don't you touch her!" Leon shouted, breaking out of his temporary coma. Mike lay on the slab without perception as blood dripped down his face. On his forehead stood the insignia of the Los Illuminados cult group that Hunnigan had warned him about. They were being branded like cattle to the slaughter; like sheep to the shears. It was only an amount of time before they all fell to the authority of this twisted, forgotten alcove in the world. Saddler only laughed at the agent's frustrations as he peeled back the left sleeve of Ashley's blouse and blocked Leon's view of her. Immediately after, the two guards held Ashley down and positioned the bowl at her shoulder.

"No! Get away from me you freak!" the woman screamed as she tried to squirm away from the knife. Leon's blood boiled as he watched Ashley kick in frustration and tried to block out her screams. After the blood had been captured, Ashley lay on the slab, panting and crying, attempting to view her injury. As Saddler repositioned himself at his slab, the agent caught sight of the same symbol on the top of the woman's shoulder. It was his turn finally. Leon's heart quaked as sweat beaded his brow. **'Why am I the only one stripped? I don't want to die.' **Saddler leaned down and gave the agent another passionate kiss before raising the blade. The first guard held Leon's legs down as the second placed the bowl at the side of the table. "Finally; the Guardian." He cooed as he lightly traced the Los Illuminados symbol across the whole of the agent's chest; reaching to both sides and all the way from his collar bone to his navel. Once the design had been laid out, Saddler slowly began to reiterate the emblem with deeper strokes. Leisurely he traced the design, drawing heavy blood from the agent. Leon tried to squirm as his own shouts drowned his heartbeat. His blood flowed as Saddler guided the knife to create Leon's body into a walking motif for the Los Illuminados. The crimson lifeblood surged over the rest of his skin as tears began to slide down his face in misery.

"Stop! You'll kill him, Saddler!" Ashley shouted as she struggled to escape her restraints. As the leader finished the last of the deep slashes to form the permanent symbol, he began to trace over the lines with his tongue. The liquid was sweet to his tastes; enticing and seductive. He licked the very gashes that would later become everlasting scars to bind the senior agent to the cult. Leon's agonized yelps died into moans as the parasite took over his mind again. Leon felt his member stiffen unwillingly. The plagas had fallen to Saddler's will; he had even lost his sexual function. Saddler slid his hand down farther into the senior agent's pants and traced over his bulge as he continued to suck his blood. Leon began to whimper at his 'master's' mercy as the caramelized fossil began to rub his erection softly but rapidly. Before anything could progress, the fiend halted his advance and chuckled at how the agent wriggled at the sudden halt.

"Oh, I forgot my pet; we'll have to _save_ that." Saddler whispered as he licked his lips and retracted his hand.

"Ashley. Don't let his power… You have to get away." Leon said feebly as he tried to get as far away from his molester as possible.

"My dear American, after this ritual, I will have any power over you that I want. Oh, not to mention that I could do it from anywhere in the world. Even if you escape now, those plagas are forever mine." Saddler said as he began to chug the mixture of various life liquids. Ashley felt drowsiness overcome her senses as she let her head slide to the side of the slab. **_'God, please protect Leon.' _**Leon felt the same power conquer his body as his vision began to churn into an array of darkness and confusion. Finally, all was dark for the three victims, oblivious to the world around them.

"Guards, take Agent Kennedy to my chambers, along with his friend, Mr. Saxon and their belongings. As for the girl, take her to the island and lock her in the store room. I will _use_ her when I'm finished with these two. Oh yes, and tell Salazar to wait for the agents right outside the entrance to the castle docks." Saddler chortled as he stroked Leon's sleeping form. "The _hardest_ tests are yet to come my dears." His maniacal laughs screamed through the hallways as he made his way towards his bedroom.

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End of chapter Yay! I hope that that was creepy enough for everyone. I try. I hope every guy got an anti-boner. Oh yeah, Sand M are my initials by the way. Lol. I thought that was funny. Anyways, read and review! I hope you all liked it. Like I said, I'll try to update before we leave but, I doubt that will happen. Anyways, I look forward to hearing from everybody! AND make sure that you tell me if it was up to par or not! Lol.


	9. Chapter 8: Supremacy's Captive

Hey everybody, I have to apologize because I've lost track of what reviews that I've answered and what ones I haven't. So, I can't give you my feedback on your reviews. But thank you if you did review and I always appreciate it. I did read them all and constructive criticism is always a good thing. Keep doing it! And, thank you to those of you who responded to my author's note and who haven't given up on me yet. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Anywho, without further adieu, the chapter that took me a year to write and probably isn't any better than the others. Hope you enjoy!

"speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

--

Chapter 8: Supremacy's Captive

--

"Let me the fuck out of here! I'm not like ya, Saddler! I don't belong in the closet!" Mike screamed as he tried to escape the ropes that bound him. Amongst the rattling of his body hitting the armoire walls as he tried to break it open, the middle-ranked agent honed his ears onto the noises outside of his temporarily secluded penitentiary. There were chains clattering and moaning; Leon's moaning. The sturdy oak barred him from saving his companion outside. A new style of rage filled the agent with a drive to continue battering the doors with is body. Mike felt his stomach churn and his very blood boiling as the doors finally gave way, spilling him out onto the hard stone floor. Rapidly lifting himself onto his knees, Mike processed the commotion. Positioned two feet away from the grand canopied, red, silken sheeted bed, the middle-ranked agent tried not to gag. Saddler lay on top of his companion, lips locked and hands wandering under Leon's pants. Their tongues battled furiously, Leon began panting and clawing at Saddler's shoulders with the handcuff chains as Saddler pumped his member. Mike's only solace was that neither Leon's pants nor Saddler's robes had yet been removed. Mike rapidly crawled towards the corner harboring all of their belongings as Saddler began laughing and groaning himself. Ignoring Mike's escape from the armoire, Saddler began biting Leon's neck and ears alternately, instigating the beginning of an orgasm. The middle-ranked agent hurried to find Leon's knife, for the sake of his sanity and the sake of Leon's health. Mike fumbled with the blade behind his back, pricking himself several times before turning it in the proper direction. The adrenaline rushed through his veins as he began cutting through the ropes, drowning out all other noises and feelings. The cuts didn't hurt, he wasn't brooding over a little hand job; if he could save Leon from the greater of two evils, nothing else would really matter. As he finally broke through the last strand, Mike realized that Leon was breathing heavily and Saddler was no longer laughing; they were finished. Mike felt the warm, skeletal hand grasp his esophagus and haul him from the stone floor. The stainless steel knife clattered vociferously, his only defense now insignificant.

"Mister Saxon, how is it that you always seem to interrupt at the most _inopportune_ moment; always before things can _progress. _I'm growing quite impatient" Saddler said as he lifted the middle-ranked agent above his head. Mike had no air to respond and only reached out in Leon's direction to attract attention. Leon slouched on the silk pillows, his pants unzipped and his hands still chained by his side. As Saddler slammed Mike up against the wall and squeezed as hard as he could, the bedroom door flew open. Two robed figures rapidly approached their leader and began whispering in Spanish. Saddler retorted sharply and turned back to Mike. "Well, it looks like I have some _business_ to attend to, Mr. Saxon." he said, throwing Mike deftly into the other wall.

--

Mike felt the blood dripping down his forehead as the world came into focus again. How long had it been? Minutes, hours; he didn't know. Lifting himself from the stone, Mike sighed in relief as his eyes registered Leon, still unconscious and not missing anymore articles of clothing. The middle-ranked agent heaved himself off the uninviting floor with help from the silky sheets of the bed and steadied his quavering frame with one of the bed posts. Mike attempted not to retch from the massive migraine forming behind his eyes as he re-buttoned and zipped up Leon's pants. As his eyes wandered, Mike scanned the deep gashes that covered Leon's entire chest. The engrossing wounds transfixed the agent as he ran over every little detail. Saddler had clawed through the scabs in some places, oozing blood from the crevices. Mike tried not to let the scene perturb his mind but he was running on his last thread of sanity. The traumatizing things that Leon was going through damaged him too. They weren't best friends for nothing. Something about how many missions they had shared together did that to them. It was a bond that no one else would ever understand. Only when two people had faced death in the face together, sheer terror together, and had saved each other from a fate worse than death, in this case, could they understand. Only then would they have the kind of friendship that Mike and Leon shared. The handcuffs that bound Leon glinted sadistically in the muted light from the lamps that rested on both bedside tables, wrenching Mike from his mental cessation. Retrieving Leon's dagger from the ground, Mike briefly wondered how Leon managed to attract the most psyche-scarring missions in all creation and even more so how he hadn't gone insane yet. As Mike carefully conducted the knife's tip through the cuffs' lock, Leon began to stir.

"How ya feeling, pal?" Mike asked in an almost hysteric tone as Leon tried to stretch, tearing the handcuffs out of his grasp.

What the… the senior agent mumbled as he registered several facts**'Why am I cuffed? Why is my shirt missing? And, why am I wet?' **the agent thought as he stared at Mike in complete misunderstanding. "What did he do to me?"

"Well, actually, he didn't get half as far as he had hoped. He did give you a hand job but I saved your sorry ass…sorry; no pun intended." Mike said erratically as he took back Leon's hands and began to work at the lock again, trying to sound lighthearted about the ordeal.

"When I get my hands on that fucker… you're not lying to me are you?" the senior agent asked skeptically, tipping off on Mike's nervous tone.

"Why would I…look, does your ass hurt? Hold up. You're okay with this whole hand job thing? That's your complete reaction? "When I get my hands on that fucker." That's it? You're not devastated and scarred for life?"

"What did you want me to do? Crawl off in the corner and weep in the shower? You know, I actually don't remember a thing." Leon said as the handcuffs clinked and fell to the floor with a thud.

"Trust me; ya better thank your lucky star for that one. You'd never be able to get an erection again. I saw the whole thing. I think my fiancée might dump me after this on account that my sex life is going to fall off the face of the planet." the middle-ranked agent said as he grabbed an entire can of first aid spray from the heap of belongings and waved it sternly at Leon.

"Mike, I'll pass. That would sting like a bitch." Leon said as he shied away from his companion. "the scabs have formed already anyways."

"Ya can get molested by an alien psychopath that looks like it stepped out of Alien Versus Predator and be fine but ya can't handle a sting? Stop being a bastard and stay still." Mike said as he took off the cap. Leon mumbled something inaudible to Mike as he clasped the sheets, preparing for the burn. After ten minutes of Mike's obsessive spraying and Leon's pained grunts, the final scabs closed over the lacerations, leaving the eerie look of bright red wounds with no blood being emitted. The pain seared deep into his skin, wriggling through the epidermis and burning what felt like as deep as his entrails. The familiar squirm in his chest took over as the creature cried out in pain. There was no noise but Leon could tell it was screaming inside of him. Just as in parasitism, the pain Leon felt, the parasite now felt because of its advanced growth stage and dependence on its host. The fiery blaze in his skin died into the welcomed arctic stroke that encased his lesions as Mike tossed Leon's clothes onto the bed. As Leon lifted his shirt, the process of organized thought returned and he realized that Ashley was no longer in their party.

"Mike…where's Ashley?" the senior agent asked as he virtually rocketed off the bed to retrieve his communicator, not waiting for a reply. Considering the possibilities, Mike figured it wise not to respond as he placed a strap of his pack in his mouth to avoid answering the question, pretending to need both hands to get into a pocket. He knew that Leon would just check for himself and decided that it was best if he didn't make allegations. Leon pulled up the proper screen and frowned as he stared at the foreign layout before him.

"What is it, Leon?" Mike asked, not really that anxious to hear his reply. Whenever Leon scowled, Hell was sure to follow.

"This looks like an island. It's at least twenty miles from here. Why are we separated? How the hell are we going to get there?" Leon thought for only a few moments of silence as Mike watched and the receiving signal notified them of a connection.

"Hey Hunnigan, long time no see. Our satellites can pinpoint a fly on someone's shirt right?…" Mike began as the comm. link blearily signaled to the agency.

--

"Move, Mike!" Leon shouted as he dove onto his friend, barely missing the massive, crushing corpse that hurtled towards the balcony where they were positioned. The world felt as though it was nothing but a blur and he was only a small, insignificant blip across the screen. As the thundering crash of the octopus-like tentacles virtually shattered the tiles near Leon's head, the reverberations rang through the agents' ears and shifted their very bodies. Leon groped for any catch that would hold his weight but found none. Adrenaline coursed through every vein in his body as he felt Mike's hands clasp his pant's rim and the agent clawed the hard tiles for a grip. Then, he saw the very thing that made his heart sink. The corpse; Salazar's massive, mutated corpse, began twitching lifelessly; only the nervous system's misfires giving the body 'life'. The tentacles and body fell in their chosen path in a hail of blood and slime. With a split second of hesitation, Leon let go of the balcony's edge as they hurtled downwards in a symphony of Mike's screams and crashing; Leon made no noise.

'**Ahh. My health care doesn't cover this shit. 'Sorry Mr. Kennedy, you ran up too high of a bill with…suspicious injuries, let's say. We don't judge here and the fact that you have a cult symbol engraved in your chest means nothing to us but… we have no choice but to drop you.' What's that smell?' **The senior agent thoughtas he began opening his eyes. The thick cake of bodily excretions covering his body repulsed the agent as he wiped several layers of blood, spinal fluid and phlegm from his face. As he sat up, Leon felt the familiar pain of a concussion shoot through his spine and into his forehead. Not to mention, of course, the chainsaw injury, his chest, and practically his entire body at this point. An almost inaudible groan traveled a few feet as Mike began to stir. Leon tentatively stood and made his way over towards his companion. The senior agent hauled Mike from the floor and offered his arm for support. "How are you feeling?"

"Leon, remind me never to quit smoking before a mission with ya again." Mike said as he received the support gratefully. "What the fuck was that thing? I mean, we've seen some pretty messed up things but that…that looked like something Area 51 uses for anal probing. Do ya think they all have that mutative thing?"

"I don't know but they'd better not. Come on, we need to find a way to the island that's approximately 45 degrees north of here." The two agents left the torture chamber with little more than the memory of the lifeless carcass that was once Salazar.

--

"No, I haven't found the boat yet. They should be here soon." Ada snapped at her communicator with a new, vehement, irritation. She began thinking of her chosen course of action as she watched the small dock's waves lap over the boats hull; if she was caught, Wesker would surely use her as a lab experiment. If she played her cards right though, the whole mission could be very beneficial to her.

"Come now, my kitten, daddy sent that boat for you directly to the spot that you specified. No matter; my girl will find it eventually. As for your lover, if he does not arrive soon, you will have to go on the hunt." the older operator cooed through the receiver with an unusual patience.

"I've told you that all of that's over, Wesker. I won't fail you."

"Yes but I wonder if you will be able to do what is necessary when the time comes. Contact me when you've found your ride and your target." The line went blank. Ada huffed as she turned the screen to the GPS and located Leon. With slight alarm, she realized that they were nearly on top of her. Frantically, she jumped into the boat, taking her position to start the vehicle. She heard the footsteps enter as she turned the engine.

"Ada! Wait!" the senior agent called as he registered their only form of transportation to the island. Ada cruelly stared at him, wanting desperately for him to say it.

"What do you need, Leon?" she said with little more warmth than that of a dominatrix ice-queen. Leon offered her a hand as she daintily stepped out of the boat. Mike began moving in on the offensive but Leon held out his hand to cease his advance.

"I…need your help with something." The senior agent said, defeated, as Ada began reaching her arms around his neck. Leon struggled to not give in to a hard-on just yet. After months of nothing and his hot ex-girlfriend with her hands wandering, it was like a Molotov cocktail for arsonists; the epitome of excitement.

"What can I do for you, handsome?" the female agent purred as she snaked her hands down Leon's shoulders and into his shirt.

"I need that boat, Ada. Ashley's life is at stake."

"What do I care if the little tramp gets what she deserves? What's in it for me?" Ada said as she moved to sit back in the boat.

"Meow. I sense a little bit of jealousy there. Ya think, Leon?" Mike said as made a mock gesture of a cat scratching a post. Leon didn't laugh as he would have normally. Something was different and Mike vaguely recognized the familiar look of concern that only graced Leon's features in rare instances.

"I'll owe you a big favor, Ada. Anything you need; I can do it. That might be a dangerous thing to tell you but, if it gets the job done..." Leon trailed off as he bent down on one knee. Mike's temper was festering in the background as he attempted not to slap Leon for literally groveling to his ex-girlfriend.

"Ah, Leon. That is one thing that I miss about men like you; Built on the foundation of honesty and charm but able to lie in an instant without a second thought. I know you don't mean the sincerity with which you plead to me but still, there's something almost...endearing about it that I can't refuse. Take the boat but do me a favor. Don't get yourself killed over some high society in a short skirt." With that final remark, Ada tapped Leon under his chin and walked out of the harbor. Mike simply stared at her as she walked past and wondered what had just happened.

"How does she do that?" Mike asked as he and Leon got into the boat. "She said she knew you didn't mean any of your groveling. I was about to slap you. Did you mean any of it?"

"No holds spar Mike, no holds spar." the senior agent said as the engine began to whine and turn.

--

Something wasn't right. His head was spinning in a tumultuous whirl of blood, guts, and no glory. There they were, Leon and himself holding the door shut as the familiar heavy thuds of the armored plagas reminded them just how far from home they were.

"Mike? Mike! Snap out of your daydream and help me hold this goddamn door!" Leon's harsh orders helped clear his head of the tormenting fog that held him in a vice-grip. Mike clumsily took Leon's spot at the door and held it against the thundering crashes that shook the very foundations of the earth. The senior agent searched around the strange 'Dr. Frankensteinesque' lab that held nothing but instruments for genetic research and what appeared to be cloning equipment. Leon heard Mike's frantic outbursts as the door began to overpower him. How long had they been trapped here, holding the door closed for their very lives? Hours? No. Minutes, maybe. It was hard to tell. Leon finally settled his flickering eyes on a large, dense metal bar that would more than hold the door shut. Every muscle strained, every gland secreted mucous and sweat, and every injury burned and twisted with an intensity that was almost inhuman as Leon dragged the metal bar across the floor with a Hermes-like speed. Without missing a beat, Leon flung up the metal bar and Mike caught it. They both swung the bar onto the thick latches that barely accommodated the mammoth material. Both Mike and Leon nearly collapsed on the floor in front of the door.

"I can't do this anymore man. We've been through some rough shit but this is too much. Usually I can make a joke out of everything but this...I mean, Jesus, we're not gonna make it outta here." Mike said as he grabbed onto Leon's forearm. Leon took note of the starving, desperate tone in Mike's voice and knew that this was more than a rant.

"Come on Mike, we've been through worse. It's gonna b..."

"No it's not, Leon!" Mike shouted, completely atypical of Mike's usual behavior. Mike violently jumped up and grabbed Leon by the shoulders. "I can't do this anymore. Running through tunnels, seeing your best friend molested, almost crashing in a helicopter. It's like shooting in the dark. It could literally be lights out next." At this point Mike began shaking Leon with a vigor that could only have come from adrenaline.

"Mike. Calm down. You're being ir..."

"Don't feed me that sense and nonsense bullshit! I'm usually the one that makes jokes and haha...everything's gonna be all right. Well, not this time!" Mike said as he slapped Leon over the cheek. The sound echoed over the vast chasm that was the lab. There was a long pause. Neither Leon nor Mike could voice the thoughts that were going through their heads. Mike stared at Leon and cleared his throat as if the whole fiasco had only been a long speech that had dried out his esophagus. Leon regarded Mike with a different facial gesture than he had ever before. Mike stared at the ground and then stared at Leon with a pitiful, lost, and befuddled persona.

"I love you, man. I'm gonna miss you. Tell Jessica that I love her." Mike whimpered faintly as he pulled out his handgun in a slow, resolved manner.

"Do you?" Leon asked in an alacritous but calculated fashion.

"What?" Mike asked as he stilled the gun's barrel against his temple.

"Do you love her?" There was a deafening silence as Mike simply stared at Leon as a canary stares at a cat ready to pounce. "It'll hurt her if you go. Didn't you tell me that you hated seeing her cry? You think you're the only one that's going to miss yourself? That's not true. She'll miss you...I'll miss you." Leon said as he slowly stood and walked towards Mike. Mike's arm lowered as Leon drew nearer. "Put the gun down. You know that I can't get out of here by myself. Do you want to kill me an Ashley too?" Mike slowly moved his head in a sideways pattern that was reminiscent of a 'no'. Eventually Leon took the gun from Mike's hand. Mike embraced Leon as if the senior agent was his support column. Leon heard the small, nearly inaudible sounds that were the closest thing to a sob that he had ever heard uttered from Mike's mouth. Leon waited as the turmoil settled. It was eerily silent and there was no form of comfort from the lustrous, monochrome walls that encircled them. "Are you going to be all right?"

"Yeah. Just don't tell any of the guys about this little...meltdown." Mike said as he pushed off Leon's chest and stood back. They both stood, not really knowing whether to talk some more or just let it drop. Mike gave a weak smile and Leon couldn't help but return the gesture.

The shot rang out. There was a loud burst of a rifle and a sickening squelch as the bullet found its target. Leon stood in shock, watching the body fall and feeling the warm liquid spray over him. It was not Mike anymore. What had been Mike no longer had a face or a name to the senior agent. Leon felt the splatter of Mike's gray matter and visceral mass spray over his chest and shoulders. The final clatter of the metal trinkets on Mike's uniform are what brought Leon back to reality. Leon searched the room, using the trajectory as his guide. On the top balcony, the familiar, steroid-induced and frightening, scared mass that was Krauser contorted Leon's pupils.

"Come back and fight like a man you bastard!" Leon screamed as he made a step to chase after Mike's murderer. When he looked up again, Leon realized that Krauser was gone and there was no way to know where he was. At a loss for anything to do, Leon knelt next to Mike's scattered carcass and stared at the remnants. He felt numb and sick at the same time. He had been friends with Mike for most of his career as an agent. They had completed more than a few harrowing missions together and now that half of him was gone. They had practically gone to Hell and back together without a scratch. The senior agent had been taught not to cry and didn't know what a sob was but he couldn't help the few, wet, glistening tears slide down his face as the shock wore off. Leon didn't know how long he sat there, staring and holding the lifeless hand of the corpse that lay before him. He wiped the tears from his face and composed himself again. This was it; he was alone**. 'You bastards have taken more than a few good men. Skyler, Mike, the rest of my team...Watch out, Saddler. You've just given me one more reason to rip you limb from limb myself.'** Leon thought as he placed Mike's body flat on its back, folding the arms across the chest. Leon took the few materials that he could use: ammo, the communicator for Ashley, and the handgun that she could hopefully figure out how to use. The senior agent stood in the center of the lab and looked to the ceiling.

"So this is how you want it, Bastard?! Just me by myself? Bring it! I'm not afraid of you! My odds against the bad guys, when I'm the only captive who can fight, only increase. If you're ready, I'm here!" Leon stared at the ceiling as if waiting for a reply. He waited for the sickening feeling to take over his body and the headache and nausea to consume him. It didn't come. Leon silently put his arms down and looked back to the door. It still clattered with the plagas outside. Leon stood in front of the door and prepared himself to remove the barricade. After all, there was only one way out and he couldn't wait here forever while Ashley was all by herself. He slowly removed the metal bar and began to push open the door. "Come to daddy."

--

Okay, so it was a little bit of a rough chapter. **Sniffle!!** I had to kill off Mike. It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO hard! You all knew it had to come some time though right? That doesn't make it easier does it? Anyways, everyone say farewell to Mike and that you love him. This chapter was a little depressing and probably wasn't written as well as the others but hey, it'll get better. The next chapter is going to be a little rough at the beginning but then I can get into the LeonXAshley romance next chapter. That's a plus. I hope you enjoyed it!! Review guys because I love to hear from you!!


	10. Chapter 9: The Thin Line

Yeah. I'm not going to try and apologize for how late this update is. All I can say is that I'm REALLY REALLY sorry and I've been busy! I got a job, I'm going college, etc. Anyways, I lost all of the old reviews but, if you guys R&R, I'll keep track of them this time and answer you all back on my next chapter. I will also try to get the next chapter up within a few weeks. Okay, enjoy the new chapter and R&R. I love you guys!!

"speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

--

Chapter 9: The Thin Line

--

"What's wrong my little pet? You don't like a little bit of _pleasure_ in your work? After all, you said that the girl was...bothersome. I wouldn't have thought that you would be...jealous." The maniacal laugh echoed through the hallways as the senior agent raced through them, desperately searching for Ashley. The taunting was becoming unbearable as his pulse raced higher and his endurance was drained. Then the flash of the monitor caught his eye. Leon stopped and stared in horror at the security screen in front of him. The only thing that met the agent's eye was Saddler's massive bulk. As he stared more closely, the agent was able to discern Ashley's fragile, delicate hand clawing its way to the wall from under the megalominiacal monstrosity's carcass. Something welled up inside Leon that he had never felt before. What it was, the agent couldn't say. He felt a somesthesia at the sight of Ashley being used and taken advantage of. He was used to strong women who took care of themselves. Never before had he felt the need to protect someone in this high of a degree.

**'You bastard. Wait until I get my hands on you. You'll pay for the damage you've caused.'** Leon thought as he began to cannonball down the cold, relentless corridors.

"Will I my pet? Something tells me that, by the time you've gotten here, I'll be long gone."

"I can run a four-minute mile, asshole!" Leon shouted to the empty halls as the rage augmented and crested . His legs burned, his wounds ached, and his brains were all scrambled with the intolerable rush. But none of that mattered. Ashley was being hurt in a way that no one should ever have to experience and if he could save her from that, then there was no reward in the world that was adequate; Other than the fact that he had succeeded.

"Oh, but I can do _this_, Mr. Kennedy." Leon felt the familiar nausea take over as his body crumpled, he lost control of his muscles, and fell to the ground. **'No. No, you bastard! I won't let you do this anymore!'** The senior agent thought to himself as he fought against the invisible restraints that overpowered him. There was a swirl of colors that enveloped him and a myriad of sounds that deafened his hearing. There were few times in his life when the senior agent had experienced helplessness. Very few. This was one of them. His thoughts jumbled and mixed, confusing reality with fiction, present with past. The darkness engulfed the senior agent as he fought it. It was frugal, pointless. He fell to the floor with a numbing thud.

Slowly, the reality he knew began to grip the senior agent. There were tiny, muffled sobs somewhere in the back of his mind. Memories of his 16th birthday flooded back. The first time he told his mother that he was being sent to Afghanistan for government training operations echoed in his mind. He remembered that his mother had called it ludicrous and that there would never be a terrorist powerful enough to damage the United States. She screamed and held on to his army uniform. She pleaded him not to go. Only one thing stuck with Leon more than anything else that day. Her sobs as she yelled at him. After awhile, there were only sobs; no more yelling. As he reminisced his mother's moaning, Leon came to realize that they were not the tears of his mother. The voice was young and terrified, not middle-aged and frightened. Slowly, he remembered where he was; the panic hit him. **'That son of a bitch is still with Ashley!' **As he stood, Leon realized that he had been moved from his previous position. **'You sick bastard. You went as far to move me right in front of the door.' **He stood directly in front of the chemical storage cell that harbored Ashley's tiny sobs. Leon slowly turned the knob and entered the cell.

The rage swelled up in his chest again. The young woman lay in the corner of the dank, dimly lit storage area, sobbing her soul out with no one to hear her until then. There was something about the spectacle that broke even Leon's heart. Leon slowly picked up the lower half of Ashley's under attire and tentatively made his way over to her.

"Ashley...?" the senior agent said softly as he held out the undergarment. The whimpers ceased as Ashley looked up. She searched through the dark and tried to grasp the agent's arm. Leon felt the weakened brush of the girl's fragile hand. Something shattered inside the agent's heart. Leon dropped to his knees and just held her. There was nothing he could say that would fix what had happened but maybe, maybe his being there silently would help her. The warm tears perforated the shoulder of Leon's shirt as he held the quaking figure before him. He cooed to the young woman in an attempt to calm her wrecked mentality. **'I'm sorry, Ashley. I should have been there. I didn't mean for this…'**

"He left me, too" the young woman sobbed into Leon's shoulder thickly. "When that man came for me, he just stood there and I didn't…he left me too. What can I do? I can't…I can't…" The agent didn't understand what the woman was talking about and tried to ease her decimated psyche.

"Ashley, no one's leaving you. I wouldn't. You know that…"

"You're a liar!" the woman screamed as she broke away from the agent's grasp. "You'll leave me just like he did! He said he loved me and he just stood there! Just like you did!" Ashley kept screaming and sobbing as she pointed at Leon and backed into the other wall. She was confused, irrational. Leon kept his cool as he decided on how to ask her what he wanted to know.

"I know you're upset, but, if you talk to me, I can help you, Ashley. Who is 'he'?" Leon asked soothingly. The agent did not try to grab her or hold her. Experience had taught him that, when a woman wanted to be held, she would come to him.

"Sh…Shane. He promised that he…he really did love me and he…he would save me but…that man came for me. Sh…Shane just stood there as the guy took me away. He…he didn't even run after me." Ashley broke down in tears as she lurched forwards. The senior agent was swift and caught her around the waist as she hurtled. Leon went down on his knees and simply held her close. He felt the small mass quaking in his arms and heard the sobs echoing in his ear.

"Ashley, look at me." The senior agent began as he pulled her away from himself and held her at elbow's length. "I swear to you, I will never, NEVER, let anything like this happen to you again. I'm not going to leave you; I'm not going to let someone take you from me. I will _die_ before I let you get hurt again. Do you understand that?" Ashley fought through her emotions to understand what Leon was trying to tell her. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for a moment. Something inside of Ashley told her that she was safe. Something sparked in her feelings. Leon was so warm and gentle when he held her. He was so tough and rugged when he was protecting her. Leon held her closer than the young woman had anticipated. Ashley felt something more for the agent than just gratitude at his gentility. The hard, lean muscles surrounding her and the heat emanating from his body created a cocoon for her. _**'Leon, don't ever let go of me again.'**_ Ashley thought as she settled down in his warmth.

--

"Krauser, my plan is flawless, no?" Saddler said as he lifted the test tube up to the fluorescent lighting of the laboratory. A glutinous liquid of deep purple and maroon shades practically glowed as the mastermind stared at the contents.

"With all due respect, Master, Leon isn't any ordinary agent." Krauser said defiantly, with as dignified a bow as he could muster.

"My pet, don't you think I understood that when I chose him as my personal plaything? I only accept the best in my circle." Saddler said as he made his way over to a desk and picked up an item invisible to the massive blond hulk. As he turned around, a bright syringe glinted in his long, cracking, sallow fingers. "However, since you have told me that you can handle my pet and the girl, I trust that you will not make me… reschedule certain events." Saddler said as lifted the syringe towards Krauser's neck. The leader violently jabbed the syringe into the great bulk's neck. Krauser did not even twitch, let alone grimace. Saddler drew the plunge back as far as it would go, extracting a decent amount of Krauser's thick lifeblood. With a subtle laugh, the maniac turned to the test tube and squirted all of the syringe's contents into it. Saddler uttered a tinny chortle as he swirled the liquid. It began to bubble and turn a putrid greenish- yellow. After the syringe had been emptied and the concoction had been vigorously blended, Saddler placed a cap on the mixture.

"Trust me, this thing will go down like clockwork." Krauser said as he watched Saddler place the syringe in a refrigerated cooling unit.

"It will be ready in nearly three hours. We must be ready to depart once this is finished. I have also built in precautionary measures to make sure that things do not go awry. This is only a diversion.The girl must live and I would prefer if my personal pet did not expire. It would be such a waste." With that said, Saddler flicked his robes behind him and exited the lab. Krauser stared at the cooler with concern, Saddler's maniacal laugh echoing throughout the laboratory.

--

"My patience wears thin with this cat-and-mouse game." The calm yet cynical voice of Wesker hummed over the communicator.

" I already told you Wesker, when I got to the boat, they weren't here. I must have missed them while I was walking around looking for them rather than waiting for them to come to me." Ada said in a defensive, testy manner.

"How do you know that they were ever at the boat?" Wesker asked in a skeptical, displeased tone.

"I found one of their communicators at the dock. There must have been some kind of struggle. Either Leon or his buddies must have dropped it." Ada said calmly and 'matter-of-factly'.

"Let me see it, dearest." Wesker asked in a cunning tone. Ada froze. The communicator in her belt was not theirs, it was her extra one. To her knowledge, Wesker didn't know that she had it. To her knowledge, Wesker didn't know what brand Leon's was. Then again, there were a lot of things about Wesker that weren't 'to her knowledge'. She held the communicator up with a calm composure but, inside, her brain raced, her heart pounded, and her insides squirmed. She slowly pulled out the communicator and held her thumb over the top left corner. She presented the communicator to the screen of the other communicator. The female agent waited for the verdict with bated breath.

"I'll let it go this time but, if you fail me again, you'll become one of my research projects, understand?" Wesker rasped into the communicator with a subdued fury. "Wait there for the next boat to arrive. You will catch up to agent Kennedy if it's the last thing you do, Ada." With that outburst, the link went dead and Ada sighed in silence.

You owe me one now, Leon. She thought as she sat against the wall and waited for her transportation.

--

The senior agent sat in silence as he listened to the tiny, shallow breath emanating from the young woman who was resting her head on his lap. The senior agent gently stroked the long, soft fibers of her fine blonde hair. She was so fragile in his grasp. She was a quaking, delicate thing depending on his stability and his strength. The communicator in his belt shone through the dark cell with a brilliance that seemed to illuminate every dank crevice. The agent sat in the dark corner, pondering his predicament. Hot tears began to well up on the rim of his half-shut eyes.

'**There's no one to help me. What's going on? I can't cry. I'm a federal agent.'** The senior agent tried to reason things out but the tears wouldn't stop coming. Was it because of Mike? Or was it because of Ashley? Both? Maybe. The agent was treading the thin line. There were no sobs, yet he could not stop the already trickling globules of water. What had happened to Ashley was his fault. He accepted that. What the agent did not accept was why he was becoming so emotionally attached to a girl that he knew he would never have had a personal relationship with in the United States; ever. Their relationship would never go farther than Leon playing the Knight and Ashley playing the unawares Queen. If it did go farther, then Leon could actually end up putting her in more danger. The agent had heard that, sometimes, an attachment to the defended could enhance or decrease the defender's efficiency, depending on how the defender used his motivation. But where was that line?

Mike's words echoed in the senior agent's head. **'At this point, your emotions are gonna interfere either way.'** Was he protective of her because it was his job or did he just feel guilty about what he let happen to her? Leon couldn't help but think that maybe Mike was right. Maybe he really did need to just accept the fact that he was falling for Ashley.

'**Is it acceptable for me to do this? If we were at home, this could never happen. She's the President's daughter and I have to protect her. I can't do that if I fall in love with her.'** Leon began seriously examining his own feelings. If Mike were here, he would at least have had help with the mission but, because Mike wasn't there, Leon was swimming in doubt. Leon lay there, thinking long and hard. He felt Ashley's body against his and her shallow, hot breath on his neck. Even after days of not showering and fighting for their lives, her hair was smooth and her skin smelled sweet. She was beautiful and simple, yet complex and strong-willed. Leon felt his lust for her well up but put it on the back-burner of his mind. It had to be there. He couldn't do anything. No matter how badly he wanted to, he couldn't show his love to Ashley Graham. That name said it all; _Graham_. Even if the feelings brimming up inside of him were love and not just lust, he couldn't afford to show them; for his sake and for Ashley's.

As the agent continued to ponder his predicament, still unsure of his final verdict, a thin, wispy envelope began to waft in through the chemical storage room's barred window. The senior agent heard the paper's descent first, as it slowly glided and rustled towards the floor. Then he saw the thin paper as it came into his line of sight and landed gracefully on the wet cement floor. Leon gently placed his precious cargo on the floor as he got up to read the letter. On the top fold of the letter was that ominous lipstick kiss. Vincent Longo's _Sexy Lady_ lipstick; Ada's signature, bright red color. It had been on his body enough to be familiar. He opened the paper to read it.

_Leon,_

_I don't have much time. Don't worry about how I found you. I stalled to keep Wesker at bay but you have to hurry. I can't cover for you forever or he'll have my head. You have to get out of this place as soon as possible. Please don't waste my generosity. You're too handsome to be used by Wesker. Consider this my reimbursement to you for saving my life in Raccoon City……and my apology for breaking your heart. _

_Love now and always,_

_Ada_

The senior agent read the farewell_;_ _Love now and always. _It was a strange feeling inside the agent. It was a deep gratitude and also a relief that he could trust his former lover. With that thought passed, it was also wonderment at why Ada would lie to Wesker for him and risk her own life. As he usually did, the agent decided not to linger on the thought too long and take his blessing in disguise as a chance to save Ashley. He began calculating their next move as he made his way towards the small woman on the ground of the storage floor.

--

Yay!! The end!! Don't you just love ADA...yeah, I think she's a whore too. Anyways, read and review you guys and I'll start on my next chapter haha!!


	11. Chapter 10: A Dire Decision

Hey guys!!! It's been FOREVER and I don't think an apology is even valid at this point but hey.. Anyways, I lost track of what reviews were new and old but this time I've made a mail folder for y'all so that I can answer you guys next time!!!! Anyways, enjoy!! It's been a long time coming but here it is. ^_^

"Speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 10: A Dire Decision

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leon pocketed the lip-sticked note and turned back towards the huddled mass on the floor. As he gazed at her, it occurred to Leon that he didn't want to wake her. **'I feel guilty. If she's sleeping, then she's not scared…' **The recent occurrences had made his feelings for the girl gentler and more understanding.

"Ashley" the agent said as he nudged her to consciousness.

-------------------------------------

The treacherous footing began to crumble beneath her. The pain seared through her shoulder as she tightened her grip on the agent's hand. The waves crashed on the rocks below, renting the air with their cries.

"Hold on Ashley!" the agent screamed above the din of the waves.

'_**Don't let go of me…please, Leon' **_the woman thought as she silently dangled in fear. She whimpered as she felt her hand begin to ooze from the agent's grasp. Before either knew what had happened, the woman was falling. Her body plummeted through the air; threatening the rocks below. Ashley didn't scream; A strange calm coursed through her as the agent pursed his lips.

"Ashley! I love you! Ashley! Ashley…"

--------------------------------------

"….Ashley!" the agent's crisp voice finally wrenched the woman from her slumber. Leon watched as her beautiful amber eyes fluttered open to locate his own. "How do you feel?" the agent asked as he offered his hand to her.

"I'm all right…I guess." the woman replied as she held fast to Leon's arm for support. As she stood there in silence for a moment, Ashley became painfully aware of the agent's inquiring look. _**'What if he looks at me differently? Am I ruined to him now?' **_she thought as the horror dawned on her.

"Do you remember what I taught you about the handgun?" Leon asked as he pulled Mike's TMP from his belt. Ashley nodded tentatively as she viewed Leon's TMP and the TMP being presented to her simultaneously.

"Leon…where's Mike?" she asked as she took the weapon and examined the blood spatter flecking it. Leon shifted his feet uncomfortably and turned his gaze to the floor.

"He…uh….he didn't make it…"

"I…are you _okay_?" Ashley asked concernedly. Leon cleared his throat as he pulled his own TMP from his belt.

"…I will be. Don't worry about it. A TMP sort of works like a handgun only it shoots faster and pulls harder okay?" the agent demonstrated as he unlocked the safety and unleashed a few rounds on a cardboard box full of chemical packaging equipment. Ashley stared in horror as a few bits and pieces of cardboard flew through the air. She tried to hide the wince as Leon took her hand and led her out of the vilest room she had ever been in.

-------------------------------------------------

"CAUTION: Military Training Zone." Leon read as they passed the chain-link fence into the dirt covered area of old army barracks. The darkness was treacherous and the night sky cast an eerie glow on the watchtower, bunkers, and barbed wire surrounding the two wanderers. Leon stopped and turned to the woman, pulling Mike's communicator from his belt. "That reminds me. I don't know if it's because I have a bad feeling or what but you should take Mike's communicator. He's not going to be using it anymore anyways and I know you had one but that…got lost in the incident right?"

"Leon…" Ashley sighed as she flicked the crimson stippled communicator on, "I…I didn't mean what I said earlier…I…"

"Let's not talk about it okay? I don't know what was worse; Mike's death or what I let happen to you. If you need to talk to me about you, I'm here. But let's not talk about Mike or myself okay?"

"Okay." Ashley said as she flushed and they kept walking in silence. _**'I shouldn't have said anything. Stupid Ashley. He might talk to me later but…he has to be hurting right now…' **_They both walked somberly and silently as the unyielding cold and darkness pressed upon them.

"Te voy hacer picadillo!!!!!" The guttural cry ripped through the stillness as a blinding light enveloped Leon and Ashley, segregating them from the darkness around them. Leon squinted through the beam to find a glint of metal and a hulking lump of a black man.

"Go! Go! Go!" the senior agent yelled as he grabbed Ashley by the wrist and sprinted into an old ditch that was loosely fortified by decrepit sandbags. Leon curled himself and Ashley into a ball as the familiar whizzes and thuds of bullets hitting sand reached his ears. The rapid, successive fire told him that it was a Gatling gun.

Shit. I'm going to have to take him out. Leon mumbled as he removed Mike's TMP from his belt and handed it to Ashley.

"Stay here, if anything happens, use that gun and, no matter what you see or what you hear, leave me if anything goes wrong and _don't _come back for me!" Leon said as he prepared to sprint up the tower where his adversary grabbed Leon's shoulder.

"Be careful, Leon" the woman said as she launched herself into a hug with the agent. Leon paused for a moment, arms aloof, and then gently returned the gesture. Reluctantly, the agent released his arms, grabbed his Striker, and charged out of the bunker without a word. Ashley stared after him as his muscular build disappeared from view.

Leon ducked behind a nearby crate and searched for the armed monstrosity. The boards of the wooden parapets above him creaked and moaned as something moved across them. Leon held his breath and remained silent. **'The only way to win this battle is to get that thing down here.' **Leon thought as bits of dirt fell around him from the movement on the dilapidated floorboards. Leon registered a horrid groan as a dark blue beret hurled from the tower above to the ground directly in front of the agent. Leon's heart pounded in his throat as the ground shook and the dust puffed up in a cloud of massive magnitude. The dust began to settle, revealing a large black man with looming shoulders, a Gatling gun, a shoulder strap of ammo, and a blue beret. **'I don't think he's part of the green Berets…' **Leon thought as he raised his Striker and aimed. The gun reverberated in the agent's hands as deadly pellets blasted directly into the giant mass's back. The gargantuan screamed and arched backwards but, to the agent's horror, he didn't go down. Acting like lightning, the agent strapped his Striker down and drew his knife. Leon charged the man and jumped on his back, thrusting his dagger deep into the massive neck. The hulk's giant yell rent the air as he began to spin in circles and fire his gun uncontrollably.

"Ashley! Stay down!" Leon shouted as more than a few of the bullets strayed towards their bunker. The black man began swerving and dipping around the circular outcrop of dirt; attempting to fling Leon into any of the surrounding barracks or watchtowers. In the background, the agent could hear Ashley yelling for him but that didn't matter right now. If he didn't take care of this monster, they were both finished. Leon removed his knife from the renegade's neck and, being careful not to get caught in the rage, reached around to the front. Right as Leon was about to wrench the man's jugular out with the penetrating blade, the galvanizing metal of the Gatling gun connected with his skull. The world fluttered by as the agent felt himself hit the hard clay and skid away from his attacker. Dust and dirt flew as he scrambled away from his assailant on his elbows and back. The massive black bulk turned on him and he was left with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

'**What's going to happen to Ashley? She can't be alone; She won't make it.' **The frantic thoughts sped through Leon's mind as he scraped his body over the dirt. As the agent began panicking, he realized that the aggressor was no longer looking at him. A glazed look came over the monster's eyes as the Gatling gun dropped from his hands, only to clatter harmlessly. Leon, in wonderment, stared at what he thought was his death-bringer. A clean, magnanimous gash in the man's throat oozed and gushed with a graceful, mellifluous flow of bright crimson blood. Leon realized his salvation as the massive bulk slammed into the earth before him; lifeless.

"Get away from me, assholes!" Ashley screamed as she ran from one bunker to the next, a horde of Ganados following her. Leon jumped up and sprinted to her aid. As he pulled his Striker, Ashley stood from the bunker, TMP poised in her hands. "Take this!!!" she screamed as she braced herself for the backlash of the gun.

"Ashley, w…" the agent began as the bullets zinged into the crowd of Ganados. The agent immediately hit the dirt and covered his head. More than a few bullets clipped his fine blond hair as his strong sense of religion returned, evoking more than a few prayers. Leon could hear bodies hitting the floor, the blood-curdling screams as the Ganados became victims, and Ashley's terrified shouts as she struggled to maintain her grip on the weapon. After what seemed to be an eternity to the agent, the shouts stopped and the bullets ceased. Leon tentatively lifted his face from the earthen floor and tried to peer through the storm of sediment that had formed in the air.

"Ashley?" Leon shouted as he raised himself up. When the agent received no reply, he began to make his way toward Ashley's bunker. Leon quickly counted the bodies strewn in front of the trench and confirmed that all of the Ganados had been disposed of. As the agent stared over the top of the bunker, he met Ashley's frightened gawk. Leon saw the TMP in her right hand and blood smothering her left hand.

"Where are you hurt?" Leon asked as he clambered into the trench and began to scan over Ashley.

"I'm not." She answered bluntly.

"Where is the blood from?"

"I…I just started coughing while I was…shooting them. Before I knew what was going on, I was coughing up blood. What's wrong with me, Leon?" the woman asked as she wiped the blood off on a sandbag and set the TMP down.

'**Damn it…they got her too. He can control both of us now…fuck.' **"I don't know exactly what they did to us but, I promise I'm going to fix this, okay?" Leon said as he stood, took the TMP, and offered his hand to her. "You okay?"

"Yeah, you?" she asked the agent as she gratefully took his hand.

"More or less but, can I ask you something?" the agent asked as she dusted herself off. "Did you shoot at me with your eyes closed?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ashley teased as they continued to tread through the dirt.

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"So, maybe we should think about stopping somewhere for the night. We have until the 25th….so we have two days to make it to the chopper rendezvous point. Hey that's Christmas. How cliché is that?" Leon chuckled as they casually strolled through the ruins of the army military facilities. "These buildings won't do any good though. They're clay houses with no roof. As soon as we find a good spot to stop, we can rest, I promise." Ashley dragged her feet and tried not to concentrate on her heavy eyelids.

"What time is it anyways?"

"Our time…it's 3:37 A.M." Leon said as he looked at the clock on his communicator. When he realized that Ashley wasn't next to him, the agent stopped and turned around. "What's wrong?" he asked as he examined her. Her face was pale and beautiful in the light but it held an eerie expression of senselessness. She griped the upper part of her thigh as tightly as she could, her knuckles showing a pale pallor from pressure. The agent focused on her tender fingers, confused by her lack of response. As his blue eyes scanned, he saw the glint of a liquid begin to roll between her fingers. The agent's stomach fell out as he tackled Ashley and ducked into a half-destroyed, ruthless clay building.

"Ashley, what happened to you?" the agent asked as he pulled his flashlight out and pulled the skirt slightly above her left thigh. The agent was alarmed as he literally had to pry her fingers away. A small wound was revealed; resembling that made by a precision rifle. "Keep your head down. Are you with me?" Silence. "Ashley! Snap out of it! I know you're in shock but I need your help with this now." Leon said as he ripped a strip from Mike's old blanket, tightly wrapped it above the wound on the woman's leg, and pulled it as taught as he could manage. "Keep this tight". Ashley sat there, devoid of all reaction or concern. "Come on sweetie, you need to help me now…" Leon cooed softly as he stroked her velvety cheek. A flicker of light came back to Ashley's eyes as she replaced Leon's hands with her own. The agent drew his knife and Ashley dug her fingernails into his shoulder.

"Oh no, Leon. You can't be serious." Ashley shrieked as she bit her bottom lip.

"Trust me. It could get more infected if I don't do this. Besides, I've amputated someone before, remember? I'm not going to lie to you; this is going to hurt but hang in here with me." Leon said as he hurriedly flattened the woman's leg and dug the blade into her wound before she could even think of uttering another protest. Ashley screeched as she dug her hands into the muscle tissue of the agent. Leon grimaced against the acute pressure as the tiny piece of metal finally surfaced from its small deft. As soon as it was extracted, the agent took the blanket scrap, wiped the lesion down, and pulled his last can of first aid spray from his case. "Shhh. Shhh. Hold on sweetheart. This is going to sting but it'll stop the bleeding." As Leon shook the can of first aid spray, he examined the beautiful specimen before him. Sweat beaded her brow as she pursed her lips in defiance of the pain and fear that was overwhelming her. But those eyes; her eyes. All of the pain and fear beamed through those amber orbs as they met the agent's icy blue spheres. The agent was truly seeing her for the first time. She was not the President's daughter, not a burdensome responsibility. She was just a woman; a strikingly beautiful woman who was completely depending on him for her safety. Leon sprayed the can with a new fervor and held Ashley's hand as the sting consumed her. That increasingly familiar rage welled up in the agent's chest as he took his pack blanket and placed it over Ashley, patting her head as he stood. Leon placed a finger to his lips as a plea for silence. The woman stared after Leon as he drew his handgun and exited the shelter, but was too drained to speak. The agent crouched behind the dilapidated walls, slinked across the earth, and, with all the prowess and proficiency of a lion, stalked his prey.

"Is that your girlfriend, Comrade?" Leon froze as the familiar voice registered in his head. **'Krauser? No, that's impossible. I'm losing it.' **Leon stilled his breathing and listened. There were no footsteps, no rustles, nothing. There was only the whistling wind and his very soft breathing patting against the clay wall before him. "You were never a good tracker, Comrade. You were always too offensive. You never tried to cover your back." Leon straightened from his crouching position and stared straight ahead. There were two towers with a walkway between then. On that planked walkway, Leon recognized the familiar army fatigues and boots, massive build, and of course red beret.

"Krauser? They said you died in that accident." The agent accused as he firmed his grip on his handgun.

"Funny how stuff like that works out, huh? Maybe you should have taken up the better offer like I did. We would have made a good team."

"Huh. Like I would work for Wesker. Besides, if you've been reduced to shooting defenseless girls in the leg just to get my attention, no offense, but I don't want to be a part of that." Leon said as he holstered his handgun and poised his hand to draw his TMP.

"Just figured I'd help and old friend out. You know, give you a little above the knee action. I mean, us guys only think about one thing. Right, Comrade?" Krauser asked as he sheathed his rifle and jokingly gestured towards Leon. "Besides, we used to have a good time together, remember? Now…I'm sent here to kill you….unless you decide that you can take on a new employer right now."

"I would rather die." The agent's answer was short, biting, and concise. Krauser stared down at his former teammate for a few moments, a slight twinge of disappointment coloring his features. The wind whipped around them both, carrying the smell of dirt, the sound of rustling, and the undeniable tension that had just been formed.

"So be it, Comrade." Was all Krauser said as he darted down the ladder of the left tower. The race was on. Leon drew his knife and his handgun. The only way he was going to be able to take down Krauser was to get close to him. He would never have a chance of a long range shot. The agent also knew that he would have to go to Krauser; that was Krauser's style. He was silent and patient, as long as it gave him the upper hand. Gingerly, Leon began to make his way through the labyrinth of fallen walls and half-bombed houses. The clay sand crunched quietly beneath Leon's sneakers as he rounded a corner of walls. There was a whir, then beeping. The senior agent flung his body to the earth just as the object exploded. The loud boom silenced the agent's ears and replaced his hearing with a low, incessant ringing. Where there had once been a wall, now stood only a pile of rubble. **'Great. Blast mines.' **Leon army crawled all the way behind another wall corner before he even thought of hoisting himself from the ground. The agent thought of how to even the playing field and calculated the trajectory of the mine at the same time. The agent's math and tactical logic both worked in synergy as the conclusion of the tower dawned on him. **'If I can get to the top of that tower, then I have a clear vantage point. With that said, Krauser probably climbed down the tower to lead me astray and climbed back up. So, I have to get up that tower by a different means than Krauser did.'**

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Ashley sat against the cold clay wall, wondering when Leon would come back and what exactly he was doing. The woman didn't dare make a sound as the wind howled outside the clay cabin's walls. The pain in her leg was dulling because of the medicine but the constant throb was still there. Ashley felt totally helpless as she sat there on the hard earthen floor. All Leon was ever doing was running around and trying to save her or defend her. What could she do for him? The woman vaguely remembered some detail about the United States not sending more choppers until they were sure it was safe. Ashley contemplated the matter and thought, what if she could get on another frequency and call for aid that way? Then maybe they would send a chopper sooner? It was worth a shot at least. _**'I'm sure Leon's thought of this but he hasn't had time to sit here and scan through all of the channels until he finds one that works, but I do now. Hmmmmm…' **_The young woman pulled out Mike's old communicator and searched for the scan button.

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Leon rapidly ascended the southern face of the right tower. He mentally prepared himself as his sneakers found new holes in the tower wall to be used as footing. He would find Krauser on that same bridge between the left and right tower; so predictable yet so unexpected. The wind was cold on the agent's face as a mighty gust caused the agent to stop and cling to his meager footing. As he neared the top, the agent slowed his rate of climb, attempting to be silent and maintain the element of surprise. Suddenly, as his left hand curved over the side of the wall, his communicator screeched and wailed like a banshee from Hell. The silence was shattered and Leon could only hang there, frozen; waiting for the retort from his adversary. The communicator stopped its yowling and there were a few tedious moments or nearly tangible apprehension.

"I know you're over there, Comrade. So what do you say to you pulling yourself up and settling this like a couple of real men with some real steel." Leon pulled himself onto the flat surface of the tower parapet. He stood face to face with Krauser. Krauser had his knife drawn and glinting in the moonlight. There was no way back and only one way down from this fight. As Leon drew his knife, the sharp steel felt unusually heavy in his sweaty palms. The moonlight glinted off Krauser's similar blade. As Krauser lunged in the first attack, Leon defensively parried, gracefully sidestepping and circling. So the dance began. A lunge here, a dodge there; an elegant coordination of formality and lethality. The venom between the two dripped with every close call and small nick of their daggers. Each wanted the other dead but had to restrain themselves until they had the advantage.

"If I could give you one credit, Comrade, it would be that you put up one hell of a fight considering the fact that you're going to lose anyways." Krauser said as his blade brushed Leon's right cheek, barely drawing blood. Leon remained silent, slashing at Krauser's chest and succeeding in implanting a generous gash in his opponent. "I get it, Comrade, you're not going to indulge me with a reprimand. Very well then, but working for Wesker has its perks, just in case you change your mind before I slice right through you." Leon wasn't one who counted on verbal assaults to win his battles. He let his actions say most everything. Then his opportunity presented itself; Krauser swerved just a little too far to the right, exposing his left side perfectly.

"You hurt Ashley, you piss me off, now you pay." Leon said as he thrust his blade into the exposed flesh. The squelch and squish of the flesh being sliced seemed to thunder in Leon's ringing ears. As the crimson lifeblood flowed freely, Krauser dropped his knife and Leon retracted his. As he stepped back, Leon realized that Krauser had never screamed. There was no screaming or howling; only the subtle dripping of the wound. Then, Krauser's menacing chuckle emanated from his bowels, causing the agent to step back defensively.

"Did you think that was all it would take, Comrade? Huh. Like I said, working with Wesker has its benefits." Krauser threatened as he stepped back from Leon and began to growl and grunt. Leon could visibly see his muscles straining and…pulsating? The agent watched in horror as tendrils of ligaments and muscle frayed and ripped. Krauser's left arm began splitting, revealing a large, jagged claw and pincers. Leon stood there in shock for a moment, wondering why someone would go to the extreme of mutating their own body. As Krauser charged him, the agent only had a split second to react; he drew his Striker and braced himself. Krauser dealt a blow to the gun that knocked Leon backwards and almost off his feet. Then, as the agent stumbled to recover himself, his feet found the ledge too fast. The agent hooked his Striker behind Krauser's neck and yanked with all his might. He was calm as they both plummeted towards the earth beneath them. **'If I don't get him underneath me, the force will kill me…' **With that thought, Leon did what would be counter-intuitive to a normal person. He extended his arms away from his adversary and then pulled himself flush with Krauser's chest. Low and behold, Krauser was now the separation factor between the agent and the ground. As they thudded onto the hard earth, Leon could feel all of his adversary's bones and muscle turning to putty beneath him before he was flung to the side by the force of the impact. The agent hit the ground hard on his side but not nearly as hard as he would have if he hadn't of had his cushion of a former teammate. Krauser began gurgling and chocking as all the blood rushed up through his throat. Leon laid there until the gurgling noises ceased. As he pulled himself up, his body ached and protested. His back now throbbed, along with the rest of his body. Without so much as a fleeting glance for his former teammate, the agent made his way back to the woman waiting for him.

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"Eventually, we'll rest I promise. This door should lead to the lower levels. Then we can get to the rendezvous point through a series of tunnels and passageways. You know what that means right?" Leon asked the woman as he helped her hobble through the labs to the exit.

"I don't have to kill my leg any more?" Ashley said with mock enthusiasm. Leon didn't answer the awkward statement. "I'm sorry. I'm just in pain." Ashley said as she silently hung her head. "You know…it's been really quiet down here. Where'd everyone go?"

"I don't know. But don't jinx it." Leon said as he pushed the door open and entered the garbage room. He watched Ashley's expression change from confused, to nervous, to downright horrified.

"You don't expect me to _jump_ down _there_ do you?"

"Beggars can't be choosers." Leon said as he walked her towards the edge and she began protesting. The agent continued to playfully wrestle with the girl until he heard a noise; a very disturbing noise. He held his body stock still as he listened to the rasping sounds. There was an eerie wheezing and dragging noise radiating from the door that they had just come through. Whatever it was, it was coming. The door burst open as an alien-like, tall form crashed in with an uncontrollable rage.

"Go now!!!!" Leon shouted as he practically threw the woman down the garbage chute. The agent drew his handgun and began firing at the terror. He hit it in the arm once, making the limb fall to the floor. The thing barely flinched as the bud of the new arm began to grow back. The long spikes protruding from its body oozed with a gooey substance as it neared the agent's proximity.** 'What in the Hell...' ** Leon thought as he began to step backwards. He couldn't let it follow him down the chute; Ashley was down there. He aimed at the thing's chest and open-fired. As he emptied bullets blindly, the agent noticed that there were three protruding lumps on the creature's chest. As he hit one, there was a squeal and the creature doubled over in pain as a small Plagas popped out of its chest and died on the floor. **'So that's it…it's being controlled by smaller Plagas and if I can hit those, then it will die.' **The agent fired for the second bulge and missed. The monster was closing in on him now with alarming accuracy. Leon hit the second Plagas and tried to find a way out of the corner he had worked himself into. There was only enough room for one shot. If he missed, the creature would be on top of him. He aimed at the third and final bulge on the chest, steadied his hand, and fired. Before he could blink, the creature literally extended its arms, grabbed Leon by the shoulders, and pulled him into itself. Leon tried to dodge out of the way but grimaced as he felt one of the long spikes puncture his left shoulder. The agent shouted and staggered as he broke away from the creature's iron grasp. The agent was dazed but raised his gun numbly for the final shot. The creature wailed in agony as the final Plagas ejected from its body. It stumbled towards Leon and, right before the agent's eyes, the top half of the monster burst open. Startled, the agent fell backwards, into the garbage chute. Then there was silence as he stayed in the cushy garbage and focused on breathing. There was a burning sensation spreading from his shoulder, down his arm, to his chest.

"Leon! Oh my god! Leon. There's blood everywhere! Are you okay? What..." the agent pushed his finger to the woman's lips as he tried to silence her. He tried to lift his left arm but only succeeded in raising it halfway. Ashley stared at him in befuddlement.

"It's poisoned me. It's an acerbic poison…… It will spread through me until it has paralyzed everything. Once it gets to my lungs, it's over." Ashley began to huff as tears welled up in her eyes. Leon motioned for her to stay quiet. "Ashley…you're going to…have to make a decision. I think…it was an experiment…so there should be files on it…somewhere in the labs ahead of us. You….can either go on your own….and find the antidote….or stay here and….yeah. Personally…I know what I want you to pick…but it's up to you." Ashley pursed her lips and took the agent's hand in hers.

"How do you know there's an antidote?"

"When they were creating that thing…they wouldn't want to be….killed by it right? You…need to find a file on it. It would be in one of……the larger labs. Then find where…..they store the stuff. Grab it….and bring it back….to me." Leon said as he sucked another breath in. Leon simply pointed to Mike's flashlight, TMP, and communicator on his belt. Ashley took the three items and stood there for a moment. She stared down on him and saw him wounded; vulnerable for the first time in her eyes. This was a dangerous decision but how could she not make it? He had done so much for her and now it was her chance. Then a fear came over the woman; a fear that, if she was too late, this might be the last time she ever saw Leon Kennedy; her guardian, her friend. Slowly, Ashley bent down to Leon's face and gently brushed his lips with her own. He said nothing but there was a spark of electricity in his eyes as she straightened up.

"You'd better not die on me, Mr. Kennedy. I only like my men living." Ashley said as she hurriedly shuffled towards the exit door.

"Be very…..careful." Was all the agent could get out as he heard the iron door open and close. He was alone in the dark. The burning was spreading like an intense flame all over his body; he already couldn't move his right arm and he could barely move his legs. Ashley, you'd better hurry, I don't think I've got much time. The agent mumbled as he attempted to straighten up against his trash heap.

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Poor Leon…anyways, I hope you guys liked this! Make sure you read and review! I love hearing from every one of you. Oh yeah, and there was a lot of action in this chapter but the big romance stuff is gonna start the chapter after next okay? (and there is a very little in the next chapter too) Anyways, R&R. ^_^ Please. I love hearing from every single one of you.


	12. Chapter 11: Gentle Touch

Hey everyone! So here's an update that is somewhat on time! Yay! Anywho…to answer the few of you that did review:

Princesakarlita411: Thank you! Here's your next chapter!

VisualIDentificationZeta: I tried to make it as nondescript as possible but unfortunately yes, that is what happened. I believe it was in chapter 9. I assure that it is plot essential…however unpleasant it may be. ^_^

Arwarwar: …………………………………………that's all I'm gonna say. Oh and now you can read more! ^_^ (oh yeah and wtf with the penname lol jk ^_~)

: Thank you for the extremely positive feedback! You don't have to wait anymore!

Slouchingtyger: Thanks for the lengthy review! I know it was confusing when Ashley got shot but that's the sorta thing that is better left to movies ^_~ The whole point of Ashley messing with the communicator was to tell Krauser that Leon was there. Lol. (nothing can be easy for Leon after all ^_~) I miss the lighthearted stuff too…eventually I'll get back to it but it'll be slow. Lol. Oh, and there is more romance in this chapter!! Yay!

As for the rest of my loyal fans, I really honestly like hearing from you and interacting with you so…just make sure you read and review!!!! Even if you didn't like something, I still like hearing from y'all. So, I hope you enjoy!!!! ^_^

"Speech

Underlined words mumbling (thinking aloud)

'**Bold letters'** thinking to self (Leon)

'_**Bold letters italicized'**_ thinking to self (Ashley)

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Chapter 11: Gentle Touch

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'**Sure. Leon will be fine while I take my time to get back to him. I'll just leave him bleeding on the floor. Just like in Raccoon City. First Ada just left me, then Claire even came by and decided that I'd be fine. So now Ashley must just be taking her own damn time.' **There was a faint dripping noise somewhere in the depths of the garbage pile. The steady pattern thrummed in the agent's head as he lay on the obdurate, dank floor. Leon was prostrate on his back to ease his lungs into breathing. There wasn't much time left for the agent. His clammy palm clenched the communicator as he tensely waited for Ashley to call into him. The agent's thoughts turned the tome of his life inside out as he lay dying on the floor. So many thoughts swirled around him; regret, lust, anger, longing. So this was how a great man could come to an end; alone, unmarried, having lost his best friend. He was pretty much disconnected from his family. He had no wife, no girlfriend. The agent had made a legacy of a name for himself and a fortune of money that he used to take care of his distant loved ones. But what did those things matter now? The agent's thoughts only darkened further as he lay there calculating exactly how many minutes he had left. Leon was not accustomed to being totally helpless. It was a disconcerting sensation for someone of his survival caliber. Then the agent began to look back on how they had managed to make it this far with only the minor casualty of well…his whole team. His thoughts turned back from depression to survival mode again. It was a natural instinct for Leon. Perhaps his skills, brains, and general faith in his luck were what kept the agent ticking; or it could have been the adrenaline kicking in to keep his system up and running. **'So, why hasn't Saddler jumped at these opportunities? If he wanted me dead, why hasn't he finished me off? Why hasn't he tried to incapacitate me or taunt me like he used to? Not that I'm complaining, but he hasn't been in either Ashley's or my head in a long time.'**

"Leon!" Ashley's shrill voice came over the communicator, ripping the agent from his analytical thoughts. "Leon! There aren't any labs left on this level. I have to go back up if I'm going to have any luck." Leon was both relieved and daunted at that same moment.

"It's…about time…you gave me a….call." the agent managed to squeeze out as he pulled up a map of the complex they were currently in. There was no way the woman was going to be able to help him in time now but maybe he could get her out without her noticing until it was too late. The agent knew she would never leave him intentionally. That was why he had to lie to her; tell her that she had to go a certain way to find the antidote when really it was her key to freedom. "Stay…on the line…with me. There's a duct…about three corridors…down from…you…that leads to the…larger labs…upstairs. Try…there." The agent finished with profound effort as he let his head thud back onto the grimy floor and he let his eyes snap shut. He was fighting off a dizziness that could cripple a trapeze artist. He felt as though he wanted to vomit but his retching produced no results. The agent tried to lift the communicator to track Ashley's progress but found that he could barely lift his fingers from their repose. So the poison was close now. There was only his chest area left now before his death.

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The young woman practically panted as she made her way through the darkened corridors. The heavy thuds of her boots echoed almost deafeningly throughout the halls. The lights flickered at the end of the hallway in an eerie manner as her visibility would increase and then decrease. Her heart thundered in her throat as the light at the end of the hall flickered violently and went out. Her first reflex was to scream.

"Ashley….what's…wrong?" she heard the agent's husky, rasping voice pinch out, alarmed. She steadied her breathing and wondered just how long he had left. Regardless of whether it was pitch black or not, she had to make it there and back. Leon wasn't sounding good at all. Each strained word reiterated the fact that his life was a ticking time bomb that was bound to detonate any moment.

"Nothing. Just a…big rat." She lied to him as she turned on the flashlight and began to creep forward. She was completely oblivious to the lurking, prowling menace behind her. Ashley lacked the fine tuned skills that the agents had. She didn't hear the faintest clattering of the heels behind her or the muted rustling of the red dress. Suddenly, a pale arm reached around Ashley and flicked the communicator off. Ashley swirled and spun around but it was too late. The cold steel was on her neck before she could even raise her hand.

"Be quiet and listen to me. You, I don't care for. Leon; he's a different story. I've gotten my sample but I am rather fond of Leon. So, you're going to take this vial to him and you're going to tell him that you found it in the lab upstairs. You're not going to turn on your communicator for five minutes and you'd better be back at Leon's side with that by the time I leave his side. Understand?" Ashley barely had time to nod as an indigo liquid in a vial was thrust into her hand and Ada disappeared into the duct above.

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'**What the fuck? Why did that just cut off? Come on Ashley. Turn that damn thing back on so I know you're all right.' **The agent was panicking as Ashley didn't restore the connection to him. Why would the communicator have just shut off? Was she attacked? She didn't scream. The agent lay there, sweating, nervous and unable to even send out a ping on her communicator to at least see if it was still in tact. Then, he heard small footsteps on the floor. His heart fluttered for a moment and then steadied as he realized that those were not the footsteps of Ashley Graham. They were too feline and lethal. She emerged from the darkness as a cobra does from undergrowth.

"Oh Leon. What have you done this time? Don't worry, that girl of yours has your cure and she's on her way now." Ada commented, almost threateningly as she knelt next to the dying agent's head. She stroked his forehead and brushed his bangs off his clammy, sweaty face.

"How…" Leon began as he tried desperately to get enough air into his lungs. Ada put her finger to his lips and rubbed his chest soothingly with her hands.

"How did I know? Come on handsome, you know I'm always on top of the information. You should be asking how wouldn't I know." Ada hid her grimace as Leon began to slip into total unconsciousness. If he fell asleep, it was the end. "Take these, in case your chopper doesn't meet you soon enough. There's a boat down on the docks by the construction site." She pressed the keys into his left palm as she stared into his half opened lids. She brushed his cheek gently with her lips, leaving the faintest red outline on them. Leon gave no response as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Ada heard his soft breathing slow considerably. It was going to be close for Leon. Ada paused for a moment and listened. The familiar clatter of Ashley's boots reached her ears and an overwhelming sense of relief consumed her. She could leave now and know he would make it if that twit Ashley had any sense in her at all.

The moment Ada had ascended out of the dump, Ashley burst through the iron doors with the vial and a needle in her hands. "Leon! I've got it!" she practically shouted as she crashed next to him. Leon wasn't responding to her had his breathing had stopped. Ashley panicked and fumbled with the syringe in her cold hands. _**'NO! Please, God. Please don't take him yet!' **_The agent looked dead to her as she filled the syringe as quickly as possible without getting any air in the container. His breathing had halted, his pale, clammy pallor was covered in sweat and dirt. Ashley checked one more time for air bubbles before she plunged the needle straight into the agent's heart and pushed the anti-venom into him with full force. She waited. Nothing. "Please Leon! Come back to me!" she began to cry as she yelled for him to return to her amongst the living. She registered the lipstick kiss and the keys in his hands and suddenly felt a rage consume her. If Ada had been there faster, why didn't she give him the antidote?

"You stupid bitch! If you cared about him so much, why didn't you save him instead of keeping up this goddamn spy façade shit!?!?" the young woman screamed to the rafters as she looked back to the limp form on the floor before her. Tears tarnished her face in torrents as she took the agent's hand in hers and pressed it to her face. The woman was scared, enraged, and devastated all at the same time. As she stroked her face with the agent's sweaty, limp fingers, all she could do was pray and cry. Beyond that, her only thoughts were those of killing Ada for her idiocy. Ashley sprawled next to Leon, took his face in her hands, and laid her head on his chest. She stayed there, listening to nothing coming from the agent. Then, as she caressed his cheek, there was a faint twitter in the depths of his chest. The woman felt her head rise as a rush of air inflated the agent's chest. She heard Leon gasping and coughing as his lungs regained their strength. Ashley pulled herself up and stared intensely at the agent's face. Slowly, his eyes opened to reveal those beautiful iceberg blue irises.

"Leon! Thank God! I…I thought I was too late!" Ashley sobbed as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder. Leon felt the tears soak through his gray Underarmor shirt as the numbness of the paralysis wore off. Silently, he wrapped his arms around the quaking form on top of him. He gently rubbed his hand back and forth across her back. **'I can't believe she actually made it. How so fast….'**

"Shhh. Shhh. It's all right now. I knew you could do it." Leon lied in his dry, cracked voice. Ashley lifted her face to his and just stared at him as if she were seeing him for the first time. Leon placed his hands on her beautiful cheeks. Her skin was smooth and silky even after the dirt and sweat. He caressed her face as she tilted into his large, gentle, smooth palms. The agent ran his hands through her glossy blonde hair and gently pulled her forwards. "I should warn you, this is dangerous and highly taboo. It's not going to be good if your father finds out." he whispered.

"I think I can handle an old man in a suit if that happens. Besides, didn't I just save you?" she whispered back.

"True. But now that I've warned you, my conscience can rest" he breathed as he pulled her lips to his own. It felt so perfect as their tongues battled and groped for more. Neither knew if it felt better because it was forbidden or because they had been waiting so long. Leon wrapped his arms around the woman and rolled over. Ashley felt herself flipped gracefully until she was lying under him. His hand cradled her head as he kissed her passionately and their bodies rubbed together, creating a pleasurable friction. Ashley wrapped her arms around the agent's neck and pulled him towards her. She ran her tongue around the hollow of his ear and felt his lower body press down a little harder. As his hands began to snake up her orange blouse, she was lost in the rapture and decided to let him do a little work. He rubbed his hand across her smooth stomach and her curved hips as he guided his lips over her neck, up and down to the blouse line. It was a moment that Leon was truly glad he had ripped apart that red and green sweater of hers for rope. Ashley snaked her small hands under the rim of Leon's pants and began to slowly rub her way down. Leon also moved his hands lower as he caressed the inner round of Ashley's thighs. As they were both breathing hard, something clicked in Leon's head.

"Wait. Wait." The agent said as he pulled Ashley's hands away from their target and rolled onto his back. "Not here. Believe me, I want to. Just not here." Leon said as he tried not to focus on the burning desire under his boxers. There was a long pause as he began wondering if he had made a mistake.

"I was hoping you would say that. I wasn't really looking forward to lying naked on this floor anyways." Ashley responded, secretly both relieved and disappointed at the same time. As their heart rate and breathing slowed, the two fugitives laid in each other's arms as the time for their chopper rendezvous crept nearer and this mad dash through hell drew to a calmer close.

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"I told you Wesker, Leon is out of the picture now. I told you it would work itself out." Ada retorted as her chopper began lifting off from the island construction site.

"A little convenient that you didn't have to do anything hmm, my dear?" the sinister voice purred back.

"When are you going to trust me? I'm delivering you the sample, Leon is taken care of…I'm sharing a bed with you…"

"You're right my dear. I didn't mean to get your fur ruffled in the wrong direction. I'll trust you. Besides, if you didn't do what you said, we'll know soon enough. I look forward to seeing you tonight. What time should dinner be?" Wesker said, diverting the direction of the conversation.

"Seven-Thirty would be fine. I presume you're at your Virginia Estate." Ada said coolly, not liking Wesker's patronization.

"As always, sharp as a tack." Wesker said in what was a supposedly seductive tone as the line went dead. Ada didn't like all the games and secrecy that Wesker had been springing on her lately. It was getting dangerous for her and Leon. Call me paranoid but this seems to be a game of "keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer. Leon, I might be calling you out on a few favors when you get back. Ada muttered to herself as she strapped closed the attaché case containing the sample.

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End of chapter yay!!!! Finally some freaking romance! Lol. I hope you guys liked it a lot. I have to say though; I'm really disappointed in the number of reviews that I got from y'all on the last chapter. If y'all don't review, I might have to cancel my story. So, it's really important that y'all let me know what you like and what you don't like. So…. Read and review PLEASE!!! ^_^


	13. AN sorry :

Hey guys! I know you're not really supposed to do this but I figured I should let you all know that I'll finally be getting back on this thing after….3 years? Well…that's what happens when you start something with someone who later screws you over and then you go to college and then you'll be applying to veterinary school in…2 months. So yeah…there's really no excuse for how long it's been since I've updated and all I can say is that I am really sorry but I am currently writing the new chapter now! Hope you guys are looking forward to it! I am!


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